


Seeing Stars

by dreamchaser31



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Family, Jane Foster is Tony Stark's daughter, Jane still calls her mom, Pepper Potts is not Jane Foster's mother, Romance, That's ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-07 01:59:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4245246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamchaser31/pseuds/dreamchaser31
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve hadn't seen it coming. This tiny spitfire of a woman had her tiny fist wrapped around his heart and she didn't even know it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Seeing Stars

 

Steve hadn’t seen it coming. 

 

The first time he met her was at Avengers Tower. He had just been released from the hospital, after landing in the Potomac. Her name had been on the list. This he knew. Hydra considered her a threat. He had heard from Tony of how brilliant she was. From Bruce, she was the best friend of his ex-girlfriend, Betty Ross. They attended school together. And he knew that she didn’t make friends easily. She was young when she graduated, like Tony, graduated with her doctorate in Astro-physics at the age of 18, and since then completed 2 more master’s degrees, in engineering, and statistics. 

Steve was humbled before he met her. And watching her then, the passion that she talked with about her science with Tony and Bruce, she was out of his league. And he didn’t have the heart to tell Thor that her name had been on that list. That for all her brilliance, she could have been extinguished, in the blink of the eye.

And when Tony mumbled a soft, “Thanks for saving her.” As they all turned in for the night, he didn’t put two and two together.

 

The second time Steve met her she was leaving Tony’s lab. She wasn’t in her normal lab gear, and he couldn’t resist asking. 

“A rare day off?”

The blush on her face, made his heart skip a beat. 

“Just dropping some papers off before I head up to Canada. Nice to see you again, Steve.” And with a smile, she left him breathless, staring at the spot she had just been standing in.

 

He saw her next a month later, over Skype, and she was chewing out Tony for his creation of his “bipolar, murder-bot.” And what she lacked in creativity for naming Ultron, she made up for in the spit-fire way, she took Tony down.

 

She reminded him of Peggy then. While Peggy was strong, and grew up in a Military family, Jane was tiny, her mouth was her weapon, and could take a grown man to his knees.  
He had never seen Tony speechless before, and kind of relished the quiet as he watched his Jane, Thor’s Jane, give Tony a stern talking too.

 

He didn’t see her again, until all the Avengers had returned home, even Thor. Tony said she was coming to the Avengers facility to meet Eric, And it didn’t register to him why  
Tony always knew her where about until he caught them embracing. Tony a firm paternal hug around her shoulders, shushing her sobs, and murmuring words of comfort.  
Thor had gone again, and while this time, he did stop and say goodbye, in her new situation she wanted more from him. More from the man who was the father of her unborn child. Of Tony’s grandchild. 

The revelation that Tony Stark was the beautiful woman’s father wasn’t as shocking as the fact that she was having a baby, another man’s baby. His heart sank as he walked away from the private moment, and went to the gym, where Natasha successfully kicked his ass. 

 

He saw her at Avengers Tower a week later, in the common room, newly remade from Ultron’s first attack, curled into Pepper Potts. The rings dark around her eyes broke his heart, and the jealousy he felt of Thor and his good fortune turned to rage. 

Thor returned, expressed joy at the thought of being a father, but had to return. Something was amiss in Asgard, and Jane, a mortal, was not allowed up there. Steve rolled his eyes at that. What about his half-mortal child. 

And that night, while he wished to speak to Jane, he spent the night talking to Pepper, Jane adding her input every now and then, but as he looked at her, he noticed, the spark in her eyes was gone. 

 

She showed up a month later at the Avenger’s Facility with Tony. Thor still hadn’t returned, and Tony was holding her up, demanding to see Dr. Cho, or “Someone with enough damn common sense that understands that my grandchild’s life is important damn it.”

And while Tony was demanding in his charade, Jane was calm, regal almost, the circles around her eyes, had faded some, but the lack of sleep was apparent in her demeanor. He was at her side to catch her, when Tony marched upstairs to demand answers.

The intimacy of the moment, his arms around her waist shouldn’t have been the most important thing on his mind then, but he couldn’t help it, as he ushered her to the lounge area and got her some water. 

She apologized for dad’s anger. Thor still hadn’t come back, and while she was approximately four month’s pregnant, the baby, was still nothing more than a dot on the ultrasounds, leaving the doctor’s stumped at her questions. Dr. Banner was still AWOL, and even Pepper couldn’t calm Tony down. 

And Steve saw it there, the radiant glow behind exhausted eyes, of a new mom-to-be. The independent determination of potentially being a single mom to a child.

“I’m done waiting on him Steve. I can’t. It’s too hard.” 

She hugged him then. And for the first time since he woke up, he desired a very cold shower.

 

He saw her next in healing room in Avengers Tower. Tony in the bed holding her as she sobbed and clenched Pepper’s hand tightly. She had lost her baby. And for once, a man who always had a plan, he had nothing. He sat at the end of the bed silently cursing Thor and wondering why he wasn’t here for this.

 

The party Pepper’s idea. It was Tony’s birthday, and while this was a dark time in Avenger’s Tower. A time of healing for Jane, two weeks after that fateful day in the healing room, he was in the Avenger’s common room asking her for a dance. 

It was there, while she was dancing in his arms that he asked her out for supper the following night. And it was there she accepted.

 

Supper was at a little Italian restaurant outside the tower, it was close where Jane was comfortable, and near Tony if she needed him. The exhaustion in her eyes was a different kind of exhaustion. He had asked her if she wanted to reschedule, but she vetoed the idea. 

“It will be good to get out.” 

He was vaguely aware of Tony watching them from the top floor, as he escorted her across the street.

They talked that night longer than expected. They talked about his childhood, and Bucky. They talked about hers, and how it felt to have Tony Stark as a father. They talked about her work, and his latest mission (the non-classified information at least.) and how he was enjoying a little respite now that SHIELD was no longer SHIELD.

They laughed over Pepper’s control over Tony. Cried over her baby that was not to be, and hoped that this wasn’t the last time that they got to have a night like that.

He walked her to her door that night, and kissed her cheek goodnight embracing her, and murmuring words of comfort and sweet dreams.

He watched her close the door, before he hit the elevator.

 

Thor was back.

And while Steve was happy to see his old comrade, his heart broke at the thought of losing his Jane. Because that’s who she was to him now.  
Thor was the life of the impromptu party at the Avenger’s Facility, and while he was regaling them with stories of the happenings on Asgard, Steve stayed on the sidelines with Natasha.

“He hasn’t been to see Jane has he?” She asked and Steve shook his head. 

“You ok?” His reply was another shake of his head.

 

Steve was meeting Tony for lunch, when there was an explosion below them, causing Tony to jump into action. 

“Friday, what’s the status?” *His armor gathering around him, as he prepared to fly out of the building to meet their attackers. 

“Explosion on R&D, Lab 3 sir.”

Jane’s lab. 

They made their way down, calmly and not with their hearts in their throats with worry, they were men of course, and met Pepper on the way, her heels in her hand as she ran to meet them.

They found Jane throwing Thor’s hammer at her old boyfriend, and cursing at him.

The miscarriage had been Odin’s fault. He could not stand the thought of a mortal carrying his heir’s, heir. There were tears, and swear words between the both of them, Thor trying to calm her down, and call his hammer from her. In all their shock at the scene in front of them, the least of it all was the fact that Jane could lift the hammer.

 

Steve was holding Jane as she cried. And noticed Thor sending him a chain of glares that wanted to send the scrawny child in him running away. For all that Thor was his friend, at least he hoped he still was, he knew Thor was a very dangerous man. 

And for once their roles were reversed, Steve normally the negotiator sat with Jane, and rubbed her back, while Tony was grilling Thor, on just what his intentions were, to come back now, months after Jane had lost the baby.

For all their differences, Steve was starting to respect the man that was Tony Stark, the father. His over protectiveness, of the daughter, that he hadn’t known until three years ago, all thanks to a SHIELD data breech, courtesy of Tony Stark himself, in a mad rampage. And while Jane had a father growing up, who adopted her, loved her, and taught her, Tony never stepped in when she wasn’t comfortable with the idea of replacing James Foster. But that never stopped him from stepping in on the sidelines.  
His respect for Tony grew he laid down an ultimatum as only a father could, Steve couldn’t help but smile as he kissed the top of Jane’s head, effectively ending, any connection that the young woman in his arms had with the god.

 

Steve had never seen her run before, and was a little surprised to see her jogging a trail at Central Park, early that morning. It shouldn’t have surprised him, while most of the time, she wore loose fitting clothing, he could tell in the many times that he touched her, that she was fit. 

And here, at five o’clock in the morning, wearing yoga pants, and a sports bra, he first caught sight of the body beneath the clothes. 

While Steve was aware that he was attracted to the beautiful woman, the feeling of desire seeing her dressed this way, let his imagination run wild. 

And when he caught up to her, running the trail beside her. She looked up into his questioning eyes and answered. 

“I did cross-country in high school. I’ve never stopped.”

That was all that said for the rest of the five miles they ran that morning. 

 

Later that week, desire flared up ten-fold, in an all-expenses paid trip to Malibu, courtesy of the father of the woman that he had ogled in that dangerously cut white bikini. 

Steve asked her out again that night. 

His heart broke when she refused.

Sometime in the middle of the night he heard crying. He followed the sounds downstairs, finding her curled up with a coffee and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Forgetting about her earlier rejection, he sat down next to her, and wrapped his arms around her. 

She still loved Thor that much was certain. The fact that he came back was raising havoc on her heart. And the fact that he seemed ok, at the loss of a child, nearly tore her apart.  
He knew then that her earlier rejection, had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the fact for the first time in the last four years, her life no longer involved the blonde god who shook up her world. 

 

Their first kiss came two nights later, while the duo decided that an impromptu night swim might shake off any sadness Jane was feeling that night. After they curled up in one pool chair, staring up at the stars, enjoying the warm Malibu air.  
Steve knew he loved her.

 

Tony Stark was not happy with him that next morning. And he knew the shovel talk was coming. It came at noon precisely. When he walked into the kitchen Tony was deceptively calm.  
Until he wasn’t.  
The talk lasted about an hour, with Steve’s promise of not hurting the one girl that both of them shared a common love for. 

 

Date night with Jane a week later was a low-key affair. As soon as the paparazzi caught wind of Tony Stark’s illegitimate daughter, courtesy of Natasha Romanov when she dumped all of SHIELD’s files on the internet, Jane hasn’t wanted to go out much. Especially since this is one of the secrets that just caught the media’s eye most recently. So he was ok with a simple dinner in her apartment. 

That night ended with a passionate embrace but stopped suddenly when she pulled away. 

“I can’t be with you, on this couch, on my bed. Not when I know I’ve been with him here. It’s not fair to you. When I am with you, finally, I know you’ll erase all the ghosts of him from my past. But I have to do something in order to make that happen.”

Their kiss goodnight that night was one of the sweetest he had ever experienced. 

 

He agreed to help her two days later move new furniture in. Her eyes bright with the excitement of starting over. And her frustration apparent as her father sent in a couple of his drones to help with some heavy lifting instead of appearing himself. His amusement over the string of curse words, so like Tony when he’s yelling at Dum-E, made her a little more human.  
And to him, she was so much more. 

 

Thor was back… Again. This time demanding answers of him. Of what was going on between him and the woman he still loved. Steve was a smart man, and knew the team still needed him, and told him he’d pull away if that’s what Jane really wanted. It was up to her. 

That night she was in tears when he cancelled their date night. 

His heart broke as he walked away. 

Two hours later he realized he couldn’t do it. That she deserved more, and if her tears were any suggestion, that she felt more towards him then he would’ve thought. He was at her door in record time, and for the first time that night, they took each other to the stars. 

 

Thor was there, the next morning, eating breakfast at her counter, apparently waiting for them to get up. 

“He still has a key, I forgot about that. “ She rubbed his arm, and smiled up at him. 

Damn she looked good in his shirt. 

He then watched as his lover succeeded in throwing out her ex, demanding, fierce, protective, and his.

 

A month into discovering new levels of intimacy with Jane, Pepper Potts, who Jane views as a mother figure, walked by him humming happily.

“I smell wedding bells.”

Steve only shook his head amused at the woman. It’s not that he hadn’t thought about that particular subject, it’s that he knew they weren’t ready. He wanted to be as sure of her feelings as he was of his. 

 

A year after her miscarriage, Jane looked sad, and radiant. And while she no longer asked what if, he knew that the loss of her child was something that weighed on her mind daily. He kept her upbeat, going into the lab with her, doing some heavy-lifting, and listening to her when she had a break down. 

It was there, in her final breakdown of the evening that she told him she loved him, for the very first time. 

He had no words. 

 

He knew Jane wasn’t one with emotions, so when they saw Thor again, this time after the threat something called Ragnarok, the relief at seeing him again, whole and alive flitted across her face when they hugged, and Steve was no stranger to jealousy, especially when it came to Jane. 

That night they fought. And he left her in tears, anger in his every step as he walked away. 

 

It was two weeks, and she had called him every day, apologizing over voice mail. He hadn’t the heart, or guts to pick up a single call from her. After day 14 the calls stopped. He found himself playing that last voice mail, over and over again. She sounded defeated. 

“I’m sorry, whatever I did, I’m so sorry. Please just talk to me so we can make this better. I need us to make this better. I just need,” her voice broke into a sob and then another quiet “I’m sorry,” before she hung up. 

 

He saw her in the commons area for the first time in a month, and hated the way her eyes lit up at him, it was how she looked at Thor. He also hated the way that she shrank when he didn’t return any look of encouragement. He agreed to dance with her that night, and he looked at every other person in the room, but her.  
He didn’t see her leave early, tears running down her face. 

 

The first time he saw her with Thor since their fight, he punched him in the face. She yelled at him to stop. He looked at her, his eyes filled with betrayal.  
“You two deserve each other.”  
He walked away. 

 

She knocked on his door, later that night, and he was half tempted not to answer it. But something in her voice told him he should, and he did. 

He saw her, for the first time really in weeks, she was tiny, lost too much weight, and her hair hung in strings around her face and her voice quiet. He let her in, and sat at the table, half expecting her to cry. She didn’t. 

She handed him a box of his things he had left in her apartment. And while Steve was never really one with the ladies, he had watched enough modern television to realize that this was it, this was the end of the line. 

She had stood, gave him a kiss on the cheek with a sad smile. “Goodbye Steven.” And she was gone. 

 

Tony said he didn’t know where she had left to, but he knew that wasn’t the truth. Natasha and Bruce were quiet around him, even Thor seemed hesitant when he came to speak to him. 

“Captain, you need to know that as much as I love her, I know she is no longer mine. Her heart belongs to you. Whatever you thought her capable of with me, while she was clearly with you, you are mistaken.”

 

Steve had already went through 4 punching bags, and seven rolls of tape when Pepper walked in.

“For what it’s worth, she isn’t doing much better. Steve it’s been three months. I don’t know if you can see it but that girl adores you. But she’s not going to wait forever. She’s going to move on. And with the way you were so mad at the way Thor was treating her, how is it any different than what you are doing to her now.”  
Pepper left him that afternoon, a broken man. 

 

She was back in the tower, her tan looking great against her white shorts and lace white tank. He asked her if he could see her that night. 

She said no. 

 

He had to see her. She had been back two weeks, and every time he asked if they could talk, she said she had plans. He made the decision to go see her in her apartment that night, where he could force her to talk to him. 

His heart broke, when he saw her, up against the door, kissing a man he didn’t know. 

He took his sketch pad out that night, and sat by her door, as he listened to her, and her lover cry out.

He vaguely remember Pepper, pulling him to his feet that night, and walking him home, which he didn’t leave for three days.

 

She knocked on his door on day 4, and gasped at the broken man in front of her.

“Pepper told me, um, oh god Steve. I didn’t mean for it to go that far. I just.” 

She was in his kitchen making him food, mumbling about him losing too much weight.

“I didn’t even think it would happen. It was the first date, and something snapped. I don’t know. And now. And now, I can’t…” She sat a bowl of pasta sautéed with spinach, tomatoes, onions and olives in front of him.

“Steve. I love you. If I had thought there was a chance of us ever being back together I never would’ve done that the other night. I never would have. Steve please eat.”

He just stared at her. She sobbed. 

“I just, I just need you to eat. “

And he had had it. He pushed back from the table, hard enough for her to wince from fright. 

“I’LL EAT WHEN I DAMN WELL WANT TO. YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST COME IN HERE, AND MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER BY SAYING YOU DIDN’T MEAN TO DO IT?! That this was some sort of mistake, that you accidentally let him love you, on furniture that you bought to rid your apartment of anything that had to do with your ex, before you could even sleep with me, a man you were supposedly falling in love with.”

“You left me.”

“You made it so damn easy Jane.”

“I didn’t. I called you every single day, two, three times a day, you never answered. What was I supposed to think?”

“You left!”

“I had too! I tried Steve. I tried to talk to you every day. Tried to keep my worst nightmare from coming true. That dance. You didn’t even look at me. Then that thing with Thor. I always thought in the back of my mind, you would wake up and realize that I’m no good for you. I hated that I couldn’t tell you for so long. After our fight, I figured that was it, it was just a fight, and things would be back to normal soon.” She started to cry. “It wasn’t. It wasn’t fine. I tried Steve. I tried to move past it. You didn’t. And I knew my nightmare had come true. I had to leave. I was so embarrassed, and no matter what my father says, Scotch and Tequila does not take away the pain, of losing the man you loved most in the world. I’m sorry, for whatever I did to you to make you this angry at me. To hate me this much.” She stood up then and went for the door. “Just please eat. Not for me. For you.” 

She left, he broke down.

 

He called her two days later. Hung up before she could answer the phone. He couldn’t take her rejection. 

 

Tony and Pepper were getting married, they made that announcement a week after she appeared at his apartment and left, seemingly done with whatever was left of their relationship. She looked radiant that night. Her easy smile, genuinely happy for her father, and the woman who was always a mother to her. He found her on the balcony, asked her to dance.  
She refused.

 

Steve was confused, the engagement party was two nights later, and her plus one was the same man who he’d seen her with that awful night. It made him sick. Tony was there. 

“You screwed up.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, Stark.”

 

She was crying at the wet bar, in the communal portion of Avengers Tower when he saw her next, a picture he drew of her. Pepper reached her first.  
He cursed his bad luck. 

 

He let himself into her apartment, he knew she wasn’t home yet, and set about to cook her a nice meal, with some wine. He hoped she was in a mood to talk.  
As luck would have it, she came home alone that night. He could feel her stare at his back.

“Why are you here, Steve?”

“I came to talk.”

“A little late for that, don’t you think?”

“Maybe, I hope not. I brought food, wine and chocolates.”

“You think that’s going to make a differences.”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I love you.”

She snorts, “Try again Captain.”

He flinches. She has never ever called him that. “You don’t believe me when I tell you that?”

“Nope.”

He sighs and looks around. “His shoes are here, and he’s got clothes in your closet. Is it really that serious?”

“Well considering that he’s been going to sleep with me more often than not these days, I’m going to say yes.”

“Do you love him?”

“I could.”

“Those things you said to me, at my apartment that day. Do you really believe that?”

She says nothing, just shrugs. He sighs.

“You’ve got to help me here Jane.”

“Not so easy is it with a hostile person.”

He sighs, again. “I deserve that, but baby-“

“I’m not your baby.”

“YOU ARE MINE. YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN MINE! I’ve been trying to come up with a reason for the way I acted all those months ago, even recently, but I have no excuse Jane. None at  
all. You told me that you thought you weren’t good enough for me. But it’s the other way around baby. I’m not good enough for you. I love you. I always have. I always will. From the first day I met you, it’s always been you. I hate that I hurt you. I hate that I put you through all of this. I hate that I may have ruined anything that we had together, but I had to tell you this. If you give me a chance, a chance to prove to you that what I’m saying is true right now, I’ll consider myself the luckiest man in the world.”

“And if I tell you go?”

“If you tell me to go, I’ll honor your wishes. You deserve so much more, at least I can give you something that you want. It will break my heart, but if it makes you happy, I’ll do it. Can you just-“he swallows, “just do something for me, don’t give me your decision until after we’ve eaten. I just need to um- I just need a few minutes longer with you if that is your answer.”

At her nod, she sits down, and drinks from her glass of wine and stares ahead, when he puts the plate in front of her. He hates this, this silence that use to be so full of her conversations about science, or his about his latest mission, or theirs about their futures.

In a way dinner was way too slow, just waiting on her answer, and too fast, just for the fear that this might be it. He wanted to spend as much time with her before he couldn’t do it anymore. 

“So.”

Steve looked up, his blue eyes bright with fear, and he swallows hard. “So.” He stands and starts to clear the table, his back to her as he does the dishes, and cleans up her kitchen before he turns to face her again, hands in his pockets, head down, defeated. “Jane before you say anything, I just want-“

She starts to shake her head. “Steve, I’m seeing someone else, it’s not fair to him. We had our time, and it didn’t work.”

He starts towards her and she holds up her hands. “Wait. I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I can’t do that to him. It’s not fair.”

He nods. “Fair enough. You’re right.”

She tears up and walks to him, and it feels so good to have her in his arms again, even for the brief amount of time he had left with her. 

“I don’t want to hurt you Steve.”

He shakes his head. “Hey. Hey. I’ll be fine. I’ll just go find something else that I can screw up.” He says it jokingly, but the ache in his chest is real. Her sobs are just as real, and he thinks maybe, just maybe he still has a chance. 

“Jane, you’ve always been so responsible, you’ve always done the responsible thing, and I get it, what you have with this guy is new. You’ve always been logical, but Jane I’m asking you just once to follow your heart, because I know you still love me. Ask me to leave, and I will. But ask me to stay, and I’ll take you back to that bed right now, I’ll love you all night to rid you of any sense of responsibility, and we’ll figure out what to do with your relationship with this guy, together. Because you’re my girl Janessa Elizabeth Stark- Foster. And if you’ll let me, I want to be your guy.”

The ten seconds it took her to decide were the longest of his life, but it was worth it when she jumped into his arms, her kisses urgent, her tongue seeking his, her legs around his waist, and in less than a minute, their clothes were in a path leading to her bedroom, where her cries of his name erased anything he heard that was going on that fateful night, and his stamina was put to good use.  
All night long. 

 

Waking the next morning Steve was fearful. He had a fear that when she woke up that she would regret what happened, She put his fears to rest when she climbed on top of him, taking him all the way again and again, and they both saw stars.

 

She called the man, he now knew was named Richard, and called it off with him. She cried, he held her, but couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for the guy. After that they went to Malibu for a much needed couple’s vacation.

 

Everyone was happy when they saw Jane and Steve seemingly together again a week later. 

 

Two months later he found her in his place holding a pregnancy test, her smile radiant as she told him.  
“You’re going to be a father, Steve.”  
He saw the stars.


	2. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve couldn't stop smiling.

Since he woke up from the as Jane calls it, "The Defrost," his biggest fear was not fitting in with the modern world, but not having any family to lean on. His father and mother were gone before the war, and he had no other relatives that he could recall. And even if he had, they wouldn't understand. The the war, the serum, the ice, being gone for years and years on ice, and still surviving. 

Steve had friends, The Avengers were his friends. He had acquaintances, but the lack of a family recently had started to weigh on his mind, until now. 

Jane was giving him everything he didn't know he desired until now. A family. 

Which is why he couldn't stop smiling, even now, as she glared up at him from the floor, which she had made her spot most of the afternoon, emptying her stomach. Her face pale, her hair up in a messy bun, his shirt bunched up around her waist. To him, she never looked more beautiful. And he told her.

"Shut up, I do not."

"You do Jane," he found himself pushing a stray hair away from her face, and kissing her forehead. "You're beautiful in general. But now," his hand moved to the cup the tiny bump that seemed to have appeared over night, "You're radiant. You glow. And You're mine."

"I don't feel it."

"I know sweetheart." 

He sat on the floor and pulled her into his arms. "If I could, I would take all this away from you. Just so I could see you smile again. It's been so long since I've seen you smile. "

"Don't feel like smiling," she mumbled against his chest. 

"Just a tiny one?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"I'll tickle you."

"You'll die."

He laughed then, "Touche. I love you."

"Love you too."

He soon felt her grow heavy in his arms, and carried her to her bed, which was now their bed, tucked the blankets over her, and kissed her cheek. "Sogni d'oro, mio dolce amore."

He smiled when he heard her breathy whisper, "Ti amo, mio principe."

 

 

Tony was offended and thrilled, at the thought of becoming a grandfather, or a "grandpapa," as he was determined to be called. Pepper would only roll her eyes at her fiance's antics, but had secretly already bought a little Iron Man onesie, that she said had accidentally fallen into her basket. 

So it was no surprise when he found both of them in the living room after he laid Jane down.

"How is Jane?" Pepper, while scary in her black heels and power suit, exuded a maternal glow as she wrapped him in her arms. Steve couldn't help but smile. This was what he needed.

"She beautiful," he grinned.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know, but it's the truth."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's all sugar and snails and puppy dog tails for you Capsicle," Tony pops off the cork to a bottle of wine and hands him a glass. "Pep and I figured we'd order in tonight here. Jane isn't feeling well, and I want to spend time with my family."

Steve smiled at that. There was a time, when the thought of being even a tiny bit related to Tony Stark, would have sent him running to the hills, and yet here he was. He had so much to be thankful to Tony for. The main reason was the beautiful woman sleeping in the next room. "She just went back to sleep. She's been sick all afternoon. I'm not so much with words, and she's just so damn breathtaking to me, that it's hard to comfort her when all I see is stars. Is that wrong?"

Pepper smile wistfully, and Tony fake gagged. "While I love my daughter with my whole heart, I don't want to see whatever you are to her, reciting poetry about her many great features. In case you hadn't noticed, there are two women in this family, and you are currently making me look bad in front of one of them. Pepper darling, drink your wine."

She shook her head laughing, "Don't listen to him Steve, I'm use to his lack of charm, and I think it's lovely. We all think Jane is beautiful, and now she's carrying new life, how can you not be happy? Sometimes what she wants to hear, isn't what she needs to hear, and I'm sure she understands. You're doing great with her."

"Yeah. You have to remember, Jane isn't Jane right now. She's been taken over by mushy baby DNA right now."

"TONY!" Pepper cried.

"PEPPER!"

Steve didn't know how long he sat there and watched their silent argument, back and forth, Pepper to Tony, Tony to Pepper, but he soon found himself with a lap full of Jane. "They're doing it again. That silent eye argument thing. Think we'll ever be able to do that?"

She giggled and his heart soared. "I hope not."

They ended up doing deli takeout, since Jane wasn't doing particularly well with any spice, and was seriously craving pickles, and Steve, and Tony, and even Pepper were delighted to indulge. 

 

Jane found herself comparing this pregnancy to her last pregnancy, and was seriously psyching herself out. "It's not that I was expecting it to be the same way, but I could do without the sickness. But this time it feels more real, more human." Steve smiled into her hair, as he held her while she talked.

"Well that's normal right. I mean you're carrying super soldier spawn, not demi-god spawn." 

"TONY!"

"PEPPER!"

Jane laughed and shook her head as Steve kissed her head. "They're doing it again."

"They always do. They're masters in the form of silent communication. Pepper can put Natasha to shame. Pepper can shut him up, Natasha cannot."

"Hey how about we not call our child spawn," Steve wrinkled his nose. "it's unnatural."

"What are we supposed to call it?" 

"How about grandchild," Pepper raised her eyebrows. 

"Nope, nu-uh, no way. I'm way too young for that."

"You were ok with it last night!"

"It comes and goes."

"TONY!"

"PEPPER! See this is what I mean capsicle. I have a complex, and you're kind of ruining it by being all "super," and loving and poetic."

"I love him being poetic,"Jane kissed his cheek lovingly. 

"Yes, but us gents have to stick together."

Steve snorted. Pepper rolled his eyes. Jane laughed. "Ok Tony."

"It's dad."

"It's grandpa now, I'm afraid."

"PEPPER!"

"TONY!"

 

The night ended on a high note when Pepper had to drag Tony out who was mumbling something about "getting old," and "not ready for this kind of commitment," and "Oh god, diapers, and crap," and Steve's personal favorite, "Pepper a baby! There's going to be a beautiful baby!"

 

"Your Tony is bipolar." Her face lit up with a smile, and he was gone. 

"Yeah. He's something else," she crawled into bed kissing up his chest before laying beside him. "But you putting up with him is something I'll always be thankful for. You're a good guy Steve Rogers." She starts to play with his hand. 

"You make it easy darling."

She wrinkles her nose, a gleam in her eye, that he recognizes she got from Tony. "I hate it when you call me darling. It's so 1940's."

"Baby, I'm from the 40's."

"Yeah, but I'm not."

"So I can't call you darling?"

"How about, no."

"Can I call you doll?"

"No more Kardashian's for you."

He laughs. "Baby-doll?"

"You must not want sex again, ever."

"Kitten?"

"My child has no father."

He chuckles and pins her to their bed. "Your child very much has a father who loves it very much," he leans down to kiss her neck and enjoys her sigh. "I love you Jane." 

"I love you too," another sigh as he lifts her shirt up over her arms on onto the floor.

"You ok with this tonight? No sickness?"

"As long as you do all the work, I'll be just fine to reap the rewards."

"Darling I can go all night."

"There's that damn d-word again," she giggles. 

"Language baby," her cry was swallowed by his mouth as he took her to the stars.

 

The alarm sounded early the next morning, and Steve reluctantly drew himself from Jane's warm body, kissed her, kissed the bump currently housing their child, and put on his suit, and found himself meeting Iron Man on the way to the control room where they would meet the other Avengers.

Sam, Natasha, Vision, Wanda, Clint, Thor, Bruce, and Rhodey were all there when their leaders got there, and Thor was the first to step up. "Reports of a man with a metal arm are streaming in from Washington."

Steve couldn't help but look at Natasha, who was still as calm as the day he met her. "Is he armed?"

"Yes."

"He's looking for someone."

"Yes he's been walking around muttering to himself, but he's not responding to police, or anyone else," Natasha put in. 

"So he's not a threat?"

"We're not sure."

Steve turns to Tony, "We can't bring him hear." 

"It may be the only safe place," Tony muttered. 

"TONY, I won't allow it."

"I understand you're concerned Captain. Believe me, I am too. But you're here more often then you are at the facility now, with good reason, I know. But this is your mission. And your responsibility. Natasha can't stand him. Clint sticks with her. I don't know what he can do with my armor, Thor and Hulk would kill him and I know you don't want that."

"HE TRIED TO KILL ME!" 

"YOU, could've killed him Steve," Natasha stepped up, "You refused to fight him."

"He can't come here."

"Maybe here would be a good place for him to be," Thor said and Steve started to protest. While Thor and Steve had always been good friends since the beginning of their team, it took a hard turn recently, and while they were almost back to where they once was, Thor had admitted that hearing of Jane's pregnancy was hard on him, more than he liked. He hadn't realized that when she lost their baby, while he had been looking forward to becoming a father, losing their baby didn't faze him as much as it had her. And now, there was going to be a brand new baby, not his, and he felt empty. He was healing from their relationship finally, and even confessed that he didn't think he could move on, but hoped they could all remain friends. He was happy for his comrade, and his former lover, and wished them the best. "Hear me out Steven. This is where you call home, yes? Your family is here. And you fight harder to protect your family. Which goes to say, should he try something here, you would fight against him harder than if he were to try something anywhere else."

Tony stepped in, his faceplate pushed up, "I say Thor, Natasha, Maximoff, and I go to DC. The rest of you, wait here, keep Cap from wearing holes in the floor, or punching holes in the walls. Maybe wake up Jane, she'll know what to do. We'll bring him back, and get him a cell. This is the most secure building in the world. If this guy is looking for a fight, we have a fight to give him, if he's just looking for rehab, we can give him that too. He did end up saving the father of my grandchild," Tony shuttered, "I'm still ok/not ok with that."

Natasha rolled her eyes, and the group assembled to the Quin-jet.

 

All Steve wanted while they were waiting was Jane, so she was soon fetched by Sam, carrying her piggy back, downstairs, and depositing her into his lap. "I could get use to that," she giggles, as she snuggles into him, his arms around her, admiring her legs, in those shorts he loves her in so much. Something that the 40's didn't have much of, short shorts, on beautiful legs. 

"Sam said they found Bucky?"

All he could do was nod.

"They're bringing him back here?"

Another nod.

"You're not ok with it," this more a statement, Jane knew him better than he knew himself.

"If it helps, I believe in you. I know why you're scared, but if anyone can get through to him, you can. You're annoyingly perfect like that." 

He chuckled, and kissed her hair, as Pepper sat next to them, her arm around the back of his chair, as they watched the feed of the happenings in DC. 

 

Thor as it turns out, was a very good negotiator, which shouldn't be so surprising to Steve, as he was a Prince of a whole Realm. But seeing him use more than his muscle to convince Bucky to drop his weapons. 

Tony, normally the instigator, seemed remarkably quiet, Maximoff was on Thor's flank on standby, and Natasha, he could tell was struggling with this one. He understood, The Winter Soldier almost killed her, twice, and while he knew that Bucky wasn't in his right frame of mind, thanks to those Hydra bastards, it puts things like family into perspective. And while Natasha didn't have a family, she did have Clint, and his family, and now Bruce, and Steve considered her a little sister now even. She had his back, even if it meant putting her own life on the line. He trusted her. 

He found himself caressing his child through the bump as the standoff turned south. He wanted to watch anything but this right now, he wanted to be in Malibu, with Jane, holding her, and loving her, not in this cool assembly room, watching a person from his past try and hurt his friends. 

"You're struggling, love," Jane whispered in his ear, as she took a sip of his water. "They can handle him, trust them." 

He gasped as Bucky made a move at Thor, and Thor defended the blow without his hammer and sent him flying. Bucky got up quickly, eyes wide. Steve could tell he wasn't use to being on the receiving end of such a punch, and was weary as Thor approached him slowly. Sam whistled. 

"Dude has muscles. It's not just the hammer. How much does that thing weigh anyway?"

Jane shrugged, "Seems pretty light to me."

"Of course you're worthy," Clint muttered, "You're constantly putting yourself into danger in the name of science." Bruce smacked his head. 

"She's worthy, because she's worthy," Bruce stated quietly.

Jane giggled. "I didn't even know it was enchanted the first time I lifted it. Thor looked at me funny, but didn't tell me anything, until Erik said something about it. It was sitting on my research and I wanted to get to it. Thor was being an ass cause they all wanted to go out to dinner, so he thought by putting it there, it would give them at least a two hour time frame away from my research. It kind of back fired."

"You haven't been to the lab in a month, Jane," Bruce said, "I miss you down there. Figured you get back to work and working on your next Nobel."

"I think one is enough," she giggles, "I got to share the wealth."

"And she's Stark's daughter?" Clint muttered, before another smack hit his head. This time from Rhodey.

 

The special team, mainly Thor, had finally manage to get Bucky into the quin-jet, a blow from Mjolnir the deciding factor, and they were back with an unconscious Bucky within the hours. Steve had pleaded with Jane to go with Pepper back to the upper levels when he had arrived, but once she saw that arm, she was a goner. 

"Oh my god, that's amazing. Dad, see if you can see what that's made of." 

 

Bucky was stabilized within the next hour, Bruce monitoring his heart rate, Sam and Natasha next to Steve as they sat in silent vigil. Tony had finally convinced Jane to leave, and was proud of himself until he realized that she only left cause her daily bout of morning sickness had arrived early. He spent the whole hour muttering about "damn kids," and "takes after her mother."

 

Steve felt faint when Bucky woke up finally, Natasha went on alert, Tony was still in his armor, and Bruce flipped off the machines, and took control. 

"Mr. Barnes, good morning, my name is Doctor Bruce Banner, you are in Avengers Tower."

"Stark Tower."

"Tony," Steve snapped.

"What? It is!"

"Shut up!"

Bucky sat up slowly, his eyes adjusting to light, muttering about "that damn hammer."

"Mjilnor," Bruce corrected, "And that was Thor, be glad he didn't summon the lightning." It was the closest he came to threaten someone in a long time. 

"Lightning?" 

Steve stepped in, "He's a god, basically. He can summon lightning or storms, or pretty much any weather through the hammer, or a foul mood. You caught him on a good day."

"That was a good day for him? He damn hear broke my arm!"

"He could've done that one-handed," Bruce spoke up, "And yes, you caught him on a good day. And your arm is fine. Be thankful, if it wasn't for Steve, you would be lying in a cold grave right now."

"Do you know who we are, Mr. Barnes?" Natasha's voice was cold, no sense of remorse could be heard. 

"I know who he is," Bucky points to Steve. "You're looking fit, punk. What happened to you? Where's that dame of yours? Peggy, what's her name?"

Steve winced, "Bucky, it's 2015. You know this."

He nods, "No, I saw you, with a good-looking doll, just the other day, heading to some office. You did good their punk. She is beautiful. Tiny. You'll have to be careful not to break her, but those legs man."

"That wasn't Peggy, Mr. Barnes," Tony seethed, "And see that you discontinue talking about my daughter that way, or you'll be seeing more than Thor's hammer lighting up your ass." 

"Hey I meant no disrespect, but you should've seen the kind of girls he attracted back in the day. The serum helped, but he was still so awkward. To see him with a dame like that," he lets out a low whistle.

Steve had to hold himself back, to keep from strangling his one-time friend. "Her name is Jane, and she's worth 2000 times more than any girl you've ever been with, ever, in your entire life. Talk about her that way again and you'll find yourself in the bottom of the Potomac this time." 

Bucky wasn't the same Bucky he was all those years ago, or maybe Steve wasn't the same Steve. Steve use to be able to put up with all of his jokes about woman, but for some reason, Bucky stalking him and Jane wasn't nearly as threatening as Bucky making all those innuendos about her. And while Steve had let Bucky beat the shit out of him the day that SHIELD fell, he realized how stupid that was now. 

What if Bucky had succeeded in killing him?

He wouldn't have any of what he had he now. Especially not Jane. And when he had discussed this with Jane many months ago, when he had decided to continue his search for Bucky, when he told her what he had done, he had her in tears.

"That was stupid. What if he had killed you? I wouldn't have you here. You're my life Steven Rogers."

 

He found himself back in their apartment, holding her hair as she threw up her breakfast, and wiping tears from her cheeks. Rubbing her back as she cried in his arms, he murmured silent words of encouragement.

"You're breathtaking Jane. Marry me?"

Her breathy "Yes, Steve," had him seeing stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoken in Italian  
>  "Sogni d'oro, mio dolce amore." -Sweet dreams, my sweet love.  
>  "Ti amo, mio principe." -I love you my prince.
> 
> So Bucky is kind of a douche, and Steve is confused. The most important person in his life is Jane now and he's realizing his actions in CA:TWS were kind of stupid based on all he now knows he could have lost.


	3. An Unwanted Advance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unwanted advance is a good reason for Steve and Jane to have a much needed discussion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter, but It was weighing on me and it needed to be done. Hope you like!

Their engagement was kept a secret. Jane wanted to come up with the best way to tell her mother (and father), and Steve was supportive of that. 

The following two months were spent filing reports (avoiding Bucky), sparring with Sam (avoiding Bucky), and when he wasn't with Jane, avoiding the advances of one Agent Carter. 

Steve met Sharon Carter when she was his neighbor/nurse/babysitter when he was living in DC. For a while he had some interest in maybe pursuing something more. 

It never happened. 

The advances started shortly after his break up with Jane, and while they never anything more than harmless flirting, it made him uncomfortable. When he found out that she was working for Stark Enterprises, under Maria Hill it didn't surprise him much. For all their history together, he knew she was a good agent and a hard worker. He wished her the best. 

The advances didn't stop when Jane finally forgave him enough to give him another chance, but he was so happy, he was walking on air. And when they announced her pregnancy, Sharon was the first to go up and congratulate Jane. 

Which is why Steve was so confused at the position he was in now. The kiss came out of no where. Her hands tangled his hair bringing his face down to hers, and Steve was too shocked at first to pull away. 

He heard a throat clear in the door way, and Sharon responded by pushing away first. He knew who it was. He could smell her perfume from his spot 15 feet away.   
"Jane," he turned around slowly. "this isn't what it looks like, I swear."

"You know when people say that, it's always what it looks like." Her voice was hard as he started to walk towards her. She knew it was futile for her to turn and run away crying. He'd catch her. He always did. 

"Baby I swear. It was nothing. You know me better than that. You know I would never do anything like that. You're my life sweetheart. You know this." He tries to reach for her hand and she pulls away. "Come on Jane. Don't do this."

"Do what," she snaps. "Just leave me alone Steve. Go back to whatever was going on here and leave me alone." She turns on her heel and walks away. 

He turns to the women, now directly behind him. "I think it best that you leave. I don't know how I'm going to fix this. There's a good chance I just ruined the best thing in my life, and I'm not sure if that does happen that I won't come after you."

"Captain Rogers, it's just," she places an hand on his arm, and he jerks it away, before walking out and heading up to their apartment. Hoping that he could still call it that, he lets himself in quietly, only to hear her in the bathroom, throwing up her breakfast. He walks in quietly, and sits down beside her on the floor, rubbing her back. 

"I don't want you here."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"What happened to Agent what's her face?" Her face scrunches before she has to lean over the toilet bowl again. He continues to rub her back. "I can't keep doing this Steve. I can't sleep, I can't eat. This baby is ruining my life."

"You're only saying that right now because you don't have any rewards for what you're going through now. I'm sure when you hold our baby in your arms for the first time that you'll feel differently."

"How do you know that? What if I'm the worse mother in the world?"

"Because I know you, darling."

He holds her like this for a few more minutes when she is finally spent. He watches her pull her knees to her chest and rest her head on them.

"I love you Jane."

"You kissed her."

"She kissed me."

"You allowed it to happen."

"I was in shock." 

"So you admit that you let it happen."

"Jane. The only woman I want, ever, to kiss me, for the rest of my life is you. You know this. You know me. I would never do anything to hurt you. I should have told about her advances, truthfully Jane, I didn't think much of them."

"This has happened before?"

"She's been flirting with me for a while. This was the only kiss." 

"I hate her."

"I kind of do too," he chuckles amused. "She's one of the reasons my best girl is sitting here crying."

"I'm still your best girl?"

"You've been my best girl since the first day I met you."

"We have a doctor's appointment, with Banner, in a half hour." 

He leans in and kisses her neck. "Let me help you clean up."

"I need a shower."

"Lucky for me, I do too," he stands and pulls her up, lifting her dress up and over her head, loosening her bra as his hands come down. "Beautiful. Damn beautiful."

"Language Steve," she giggles, "we'll be late."

"The party don't start 'till we walk in."

"No more Kesha for you!"

Chuckling her reaches down to undo his belt before pushing his jeans down before reaching over and turning on the shower, then shoving his boxers down, and hauling her into the shower with him. 

"Steve it's cold!"

He lifts her in his arms, and her legs find their spot around his waist, "Give me a few seconds baby, and I'll have you nice and warm."

"Too long, too-" she gasps as he slides home.

 

An hour later, Jane rushes through the door, beautiful and blushing, followed by a smirking Steve, who can't help but be amused at Tony's glare at him from across the room, while Jane is helped onto the table by Bruce, who is asking her questions about how she's feeling.

"I feel fine. Right now."

"Any sickness still."

"Oh yeah."

"Getting plenty of fluids?"

"Yes sir." She does a mock salute. 

"You're such a smart ass," he laughs and she gasps playfully.

"Must run in the family."

"In all fairness, you're not half as bad. I say we owe that to Julia."

"Yeah. My mom is awesome."

"Is she coming today?"

"No. But hopefully if we find out the sex today, I'll call her. She wants to have supper."

"So you for sure want to know."

"I do, Steve doesn't. So yeah."

Steve steps up and takes her hand. "I want what you want baby. If finding out makes you happy, then we'll find out. Truthfully it doesn't matter to me. As long as it's healthy." She gives his hand a squeeze as she understands his concern. Growing up small, underweight, and with asthma, Steve has had many sleepless nights worrying about his child. For all that he was, a super soldier, there was no guarantee that the child wouldn't pick up any of the before serum genetics that made Steve's life miserable.

Bruce smiles in understanding, "There are many tests now Steve. We can do what we can to prevent that in the womb, and there are so many things that can be done after the baby is born as well. I don't know as much as I need to know about the serums capabilities when it comes to producing. Unfortunately, Dr. Erksine passed before we could gather any actual data that counted. But Jane is healthy, and" he points to the holographic image of the baby as it's projected in the air for the whole room to see. "your baby boy looks healthy and normal. A very good size. His heart is strong. He's growing, he's-"

"He's perfect," Jane breathes, she brings his hand in for a kiss. "That's our baby Steve. A boy!"

The whole room chuckled. Jane made it no secret that she hoped for a boy. And while she was terrified of becoming a mother, she knew that she wanted another one. A boy first, a girl second. That was Jane's plane, and Steve was more than happy to comply.

"He's beautiful sweetheart," he put a hand on the swell of her belly, and watched as the baby jolted at the movement, and Jane giggled. 

"That's amazing. I can't believe that's him." 

They listened to Bruce give her a list of what to expect over the next month, before she needed to come see him again. "Your morning sickness should start to subside, but you still may be partial to certain foods. So Steve, I'm sorry, your late night food runs might not be over yet," the doctor laughs, and Steve shakes his head. 

"They're worth it."

"Yeah, he ends up eating most of it anyway."

Bruce smiles at his teammate and continues. "You may feel movement. He may start to kick. Probably not strong enough for others to feel it. It may feel like little butterflies in your stomach."

Steve felt a hand on on his shoulder. Tony. 

"Can we do anything? You know, to help?" Tony would spare no expense for the daughter he didn't know he had until 4 years ago. Whether it was from guilt, or just the truth was her mother didn't tell him. A pride thing. But Tony was here now. And Jane wanted for nothing because of it. 

"Just support, Tony," Bruce smiles at his friend. "That's all we can do for them both."

Pepper steps in and grabs Jane's other hand. "A baby is a time for family to come together." She gives Steve a knowing look. "And the best we can do, is support Steve and Jane as they continue on this journey." She has tears in her eyes as she bends to kiss Jane's forehead. "I love you baby girl, you've brought so much life to him, to me. So much life to this tower. And now," she gasps. "It's a boy! I'm going shopping!" With a flourish she walks out of the room. Tony following her quickly after giving Jane a kiss on her cheek.

"Pepper control your spending!"

Soon it's only them in the room. Steve helping her sit up in the bed, and she leans into his side. 

"I'm sorry about my reaction earlier. I should have known."

"How could you have, sweetheart?"

"Because," she sighs and takes his hand, clasping her fingers through his, "because even when we were broken up, you didn't see anyone." He looks at her in surprise and she shrugs. "Friday told me."

"I couldn't. No one could ever compare to you."

"I did. I've just haven't been able to not feel guilty about that."

"There is no need for guilt. It was my own fault. My own stupidity." 

"You weren't stupid Steve. In a weird way I can see how you could see it the way you did. It was to so easy to fall in love with Thor. He showed me things that I had been dying to see. Things that helped me so much in my research, in anything. He loved my mind, and he never minded when work took me away from him," she breathes in shakily. "I had a really bad track record with men until him."

"You've never told me about this."

"It's not something I talk about a lot."

"Tell me," he turns her chin up so he can look into her eyes. "I fell in love day one. Granted I didn't know it then. I fought hard against it. You were my best friends girl. Why was it so hard to fall for me."

"Because. Nobody, even Thor, got me the way you did from day one. It's not that it was hard to fall in love with you. It was the fact that I had grown to depend on you so much that nothing else seemed to matter to me but you. It finally got to be too much to hold in. We broke up, I didn't know it at first. I thought it was just some fight." He rubs her back.

"I was stupid."

"No. I guess I got what I deserved," she chuckles, her eyes show their pain as she remembers those dark days.

"You listen to me, you did not deserve what I did to you."

Ignoring him she continues. "I just thought it was a stupid fight, and then after two weeks, I knew it was more than that. I just didn't know what I did."

"You did nothing."

"You saw me with Thor, you hit him, and I knew. And I knew we were through, and I had to leave. Tony sent me to Greece. It was a nice trip. I met Richard there. I mean. I had met him before. We had a date before that whole convergence thing. Thor didn't like him at all."

"You never told me about him."

She shrugs, "He was never that important. He said he was working in the states, and maybe I'd be interested in another date. I told him sure. My first time with you, it was just, it was unexpected and perfect. With Richard, all I could think about was how you did certain things differently. And I hated myself."

"No darling."

"I did. I shouldn't have slept with him. Not when I was picturing you the whole time. I had this tiny hope that you still wanted me after Pepper told me that you knew. And then, and then you didn't anymore. It was bad sex, but it was sex, and it was the only time that I could actually just turn off everything and not think."

"I always wanted you sweetheart. I was a fool. I had no claims to you. You left me so many voice mails, so many times to contact you, to state my case, to talk to you. You were going to tell me to leave that day. You wanted to give this guy a chance. If I had lost you, it would have been my fault. I was an idiot, and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you."

"We're having a baby."

"Seems almost too good to be true."

"I hope he looks like you."

Steve snorts. "I don't. Can you imagine?"

"You're beautiful, Steve."

"No."

"Yes. Are you worried about being a father? About having a baby?"

"No."

"Really? Why not."

"Because our baby has you for a mother."


	4. Tony's Little Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wedding, and an emotional father.

Steve looked up when a throat cleared in the doorway, and smiled. 

"Captain Rogers," Jane sauntered in, her bump, tiny from what people have said at five months pregnant, Jane radiated maternal light. And seduction. He could definitely see that in her eyes right now. 

She only called him Captain when she was being playful in the bedroom, a fantasy of hers of being told exactly what to do, of being controlled by the man she loved. In reality, the whole tower knew, she owned his every footstep, his every heartbeat, his every breath. 

Now he was willing to play along. "Everything alright, Miss?" He stood, his suit still in place from the battle that just took place in Ohio. A new enemy. Dr. Doom, he called himself. Steve shook his thoughts from his head and looked at his love.

"No," Steve smiles, the pout on her face is adorable. 

"No? Anything I can do to help?" 

"Lots of things," the long sweater over leggings she wore did nothing to hide her body, now a little curvier with child, as she walked toward him, a teasing glint in her eyes. "I love you Steve. But right now I want Captain to come out and play." 

He growls as he lifts her easily, and slams the door shut, laying her over the desk. "You sure you can take it darling?"

"There's that damn "d" word again."

"Language!"

"I knew you'd say that," giggling she pulled him down for a hard kiss.

 

Later, much later, they were eating supper at the restaurant on the first floor when Jane pushed her plate to him. "I can't eat anymore. How can you still be hungry? You just ate 2 steaks and a whole lobster."

"Someone is making use of my energy, darling. Not that I'm complaining."

Jane rolls her eyes, and throws a roll at him, which he catches with a playful glare. "Charming."

He wiggles his brows, and sets back to eating, while she watches intently. "Steve?"

"Yes baby?"

"I want to get married."

"I know baby, me too. We should start planning, the sooner the better. I can't wait to call you Mrs. Rogers."

"No. I want to get married now."

He looks around, "baby it's eight o'clock at night."

"So. People do it all the time."

"Jane, your Tony would kill me."

"No he wouldn't. Steve," she sighs, "don't you want to marry me?"

"I do. You know I do. But not this way. I want your family there. I want your friends there. I want it all for you."

"I don't care about all that stuff, Steve. I'm not one of those girls."

"I don't want you to regret doing something like this."

"What? Marrying you?"

"No. Marrying this way, baby." 

"It's not the way you get married Steve, it's the marriage that follows that means the most. God, I love you so much. I want a life with you, with our child. I want that now. You know if Pepper starts planning it'll be months before we make it down the aisle. I just want it simple. I don't want all the frills, and flowers, and bows. You know that's not me."

"Jane it's-"

"We can always stop by and grab Tony and Pepper, I know I want them there. But Steve, the only other person I need there is you."

He sighs and rolls the wine around in his glass, concentrating on the newly designed ring on her hand. "I don't want you to regret this Jane. I'm impulsive enough to do this. I don't want this to be the baby talking."

She moves around to his side of the booth, and puts a hand on his thigh, and he jumps a little, his heart quickening at her touch. "I could never regret becoming your wife. Even at eight o'clock at night." She puts a hand on his face, "I love you. I want to be your wife."

"I want that too, baby."

"Marry me?"

"You don't need to ask me twice," he leans in for a kiss, and signals for the check quickly before pulling her out of the restaurant, her giggling lighting his heart.

 

Out of the four of them present at the chapel, in The Avengers tower, Tony was the most emotional. His eyes welled up with tears every time he looked at his daughter. "You know, you don't have to do this. I can get my suit, and we can fly away. I'll give you that trip to Ireland you always wanted. I'll give you a trip around the world. Just say the word." Steve watched him hug his daughter tightly. It's the most emotion he has ever seen from Tony.

"You know I'll take care of her, Tony. You'll still see her everyday. You're family."

"It's going to be different."

Jane let out a shaky breath. Tony's emotion clearly affecting her, "I love you dad. You've always been there for me, even when I didn't think I needed help. I love him, dad. Everything is changing. You and Pepper. Me and Steve. The baby." She squeezes his hand as she continues to talk to him. "I want this. And I want you here for this." 

"You remember, I loved you first. You're still MY baby. And after this, you and I are going to have a serious father/daughter vacation. Got it."

"Yes sir," she reaches up and hugs him again. "give me away, daddy?" 

 

Nobody could accuse Tony Stark for being a weak man. Everyone knew he had a soft spot for Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, even Dum-E, Bruce. But his daughter took center stage in his heart. He barely raised her, barely fathered her growing up. She forgave him, all his faults, and now here she was. Looking beautiful as she stood and vowed to love another man. A man who has since become his friend. For all that he was, he was only human, and the way Steve looked at his little girl, pure adoration, in his eyes, he couldn't pick a better man for her, even though he was still perfectly annoying, in all his American patriotic glory. 

He watched as Steve shared his vows with her, then Jane with him, and he couldn't keep his tears at bay, even with Pepper squeezing his hand. The emotion in her eyes matched his own. She adored Jane. They had agreed earlier on that they didn't want any children. Pepper was to career driven, and Tony, was Tony. Pepper took her maternal needs out on Jane, and Jane very quickly became the daughter that Pepper hadn't known she needed. 

He watched as the emergency minister, there for the Avengers in time of need or crisis, declared them husband and wife. He watched his daughter squeal a little before her husband leaned down for their first kiss. 

He watched as the little girl he had watch grow up through pictures and videos started a new and very grown up chapter in her life. He looked down at the picture he always kept on him, of his baby girl, and smiled. 

That father/daughter would have to wait a few weeks, but not long after that. 

 

Steve felt like his heart could explode at any time now, and it'd be worth it. Looking down into the eyes of his wife. HIS wife! Growing up he had nothing. Now he had everything! A wife, a child, a family! They made love to each other slowly that night. Each of them perfectly tuned to the others pleasures, emotions, and feelings. 

He was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony's picture of young Jane
> 
> http://mediumhairstyleupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/little-girl-haircuts4.jpg


	5. Heart to Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Father/Daughter vacation, and Baby Rogers makes his presence known.

Much to Steve's dismay, the father/daughter vacation happened a week after their wedding. Tony swept into their apartment, throwing a blanket over his naked backside and telling Jane to get up, and get dressed, they had a plane to catch. He vaguely remembers Jane leaning down for a quick kiss, and after rolling over and going back to sleep. It would be a long week. 

 

The days after Jane's wedding, Tony had never been more emotional. He pushed himself hard in his garage, the overwhelming feelings of panic and loss sometimes too much for him. He tried to talk to Pepper. To Bruce. To Rhodey. Even Dum-E, until he realized he hit rock bottom by talking about his feelings to a robot who had the memory of a goldfish. Not his greatest work. 

Truth was. Up until 5 years ago, when Jane had started to become a solid unit in his life, he didn't really have a life. Sure he was a father, in name only really. Attending birthdays, graduations(a lot of those. His kid was smart.), and sending a monthly check didn't really qualify him as father of the year. The deciding factor was when SHIELD decided to interfere with not only him, but her too. He refused to let them hurt his daughter too. And when SHIELD tried to intimidate her into working for them after the incident in New Mexico, he lawyer-d up and moved her into the tower. 

By the grace of God, she was visiting her mother the day of the Chitauri attack. 

Later Thor had told Tony that SHIELD had told him that Jane was asked to speak in Tromso. Tony's trust in SHIELD was non-existent. 

After the attack, Jane threw herself into his arms and cried. For hours he held Jane and Pepper, and for the first time Jane called him dad. He pretended it didn't affect him. 

It totally did.

 

Jane affectionately replaced the term dad with "my Tony," only during times of real emotion did she call him dad. It wasn't that she didn't see him as her father, which she explained to him that she really did. It was the fact that the father she grew up with, the name whose last name she bore, was a great guy, and the guilt she felt at replacing him ate at her. Julia Foster explained to him that as much as Jane was aloof, and unattached emotionally, she was personable, and felt every injustice as if it was happening to her. 

Jane's ability to feel so much, was Tony through and through. 

 

The week had been great and both of them were a little sad to see it end, though Jane was eager to get back to her husband, and Tony was inspired to create something special for his grandson. He figured the good Captain wouldn't mind a miniature Iron Man suit. After all, the baby sported Stark DNA. And as many heart to hearts he shared with his daughter this past week, this last one was the most important. 

"You're happy, Jane?"

Jane looked up from her salad and smiled that smile only reserved for those she cared about the most. "I am. I love it here. But I'm so happy to be going back home. I miss everyone, I miss my bed, and I really have to start baby shopping."

Tony found himself chuckling as he took a sip from his wine, watching her intently, "And does Mrs. Rogers, I don't know if I'm ok with that still by the way," Jane giggles, and he continues, "do Mr. and Mrs. Rogers have a name picked out for baby Rogers?"

"Not yet. Mr. Rogers is determined to come up with the perfect name for our mini superhero. I'm pretty much ok with any name really, well any normal name. I don't think Steve even gets some of the new names, so I think we're clear." She sighs, and pushes her plate aside, finished. "You've been really good about this whole thing dad. I know you don't really like Steve."

"I'll be honest. I didn't use to like him. My father, your grandfather, made it his life goal to find Steve. He constantly compared my actions to his. It was easy to resent him for that when I found out who he was. But Jane. Steve is a good man, and I wouldn't have allowed ANY of this to happen if I absolutely did not like him, or thought he was completely wrong for you. He chose you. It was like he chose you and wouldn't stop until you were his. I admire his dedication. And although I'll never understand his spangly outfit, and by the way, if you ever put my grandson in that, I will personally contribute to embarrassing you in the most embarrassing way. "

Jane laughs, a slow breathless laugh that builds until there are tears in her eyes. "Don't worry. I've already put my foot down with him about that."

"Good."

"In other words, I'm happy for you, and I'm so, so proud of you. You remind me of my mother. She was one of the strongest women I know. And now you. You've discovered the key to the universe. You won the Nobel. You're a great daughter, wife, and mother. We go home tomorrow, and you promise me something. I see you if not everyday, every other day. And we get to have a real conversation. Whatever is on your mind, whether it's baby, or complaining about Captain Spangles uniform. I don't care. I'm there."

"Deal. I love you dad."

"I love you too Janessa."

 

Steve was out of the tower when Jane arrived home, and she collapsed on the couch from exhaustion. The week had been amazing, she loved 'her Tony' but she was glad to be home. The stress of being a newlywed had yet to hit, but the stress of being 6 months pregnant was taking a toll on her body, mostly her back. She runs a hand over her belly and starts talking to her baby. 

"I know you're in there. You've made that clear. You're making this hard on mommy," she lays the hand on the lower half of her abdomen where she can feel her baby has been most active. "you're so busy in there. It surprises me, there doesn't seem to be a lot of room. You're always on the move, just like your daddy. Bruce says you're a healthy little boy. He sees you getting bigger all the time in the sonograms. Though if you could please not get so big, at least not until you are outside of my body, that would be great." She rolls onto her side away from the door, and doesn't here Steve come in. He stands in the doorway smiling as she talks to their son. "Your grandpa and your daddy are the best men that I know. They have their flaws, but I hope you take after both of them. I hope you get your daddy's heart. He is so smitten with you already. He can't wait to feel you kick. If you would only be compliant, and kick when he's around. You don't seem to mind kicking whenever the mood hits. I hope he gets here soon. I really miss him. "

"He missed you too." Steve takes a seat and pulls her into his arms, pushing a firm hand into her lower back, kneading the knots out. "And baby Rogers will kick at daddy when he's ready. I have all the time in the world."

She moves to sit in between his legs, laying back against his chest. "This is perfect."

"How did father/daughter vacation go?"

"We went to Italy, we have some family there, but mostly we were on the yacht. It was eye opening. and Ton-, dad seems a little more real to me now. He's ready for this baby to come," She takes his hand, and laces his fingers through hers, laying it on her belly. "And baby Rogers left me exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time."

"Well, for what it's worth, you look so beautiful."

"You're smooth," she gasps as she feels a kick under her hand, quickly she puts Steve's on that spot, and smiles when the baby does it again. Noticeably, vividly. She looks up at her husbands face who's holding back tears as he shifts her to lay down, and goes to his knees so he can talk to his son, "Hey there, Little man. I didn't mean to wake you up, but I'm glad you are."

Jane fell asleep to the sound of her husband talking to their son, a smile on her face, as she listened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People have been wanting more Father Tony! And I'm so happy since I absolutely love Tony being Jane's father. I think, she's probably the only woman besides Pepper in MCU that could totally dish out what he gives! Thanks for all the reviews! Keep them coming!


	6. The Iron Baby Arrives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting Baby Rogers.

"Please tell me you're not actually making a miniature Iron Man suit for your grandson."

"Nope." Tony chugged his water from the bottle Pepper just handed him, and threw it across the garage. "I'm making a miniature Iron Man suit for OUR grandson."

Pepper smirks, "Steve will kill you."

"Steve can suck spangles. If he thinks my grandson is going to be caught dead in a spangly outfit he's got another thing coming. Hell a cape and hammer would be better than that."

Pepper hears the strain in Tony's voice and rubs his back, while watching him work. "You ever wonder about the first baby? You know. If Odin hadn't.."

"All the time."

"And?"

"And as much as my daughter was devastated, I can't bring myself to not believe that the child lucked out. Jane is going to make a great mom. She would've been a great mom to that child. Thor would've found his footing eventually. But can you imagine having a grandfather like Odin. Prejudice son of a bitch that he is. I couldn't. Yes. I do wonder if it was a boy or a girl. What it looked like. Who it took after. But if I had to choose between Thor and Steve to father my grandchild, and I swear if you tell him this, I will take every pair of your Gucci shoes, and string them from the phone lines. I would choose Steve. He's been good for her."

"Their relationship came so out of the blue."

"As much as I hate to admit it, besides that whole break up of theirs, Capsicle has been a good man to her."

"It still bothers him."

"He'll spend the rest of their lives making it up to her. Let the sucker grovel."

"How did this happen? Jane and Steve? Thor is Steve's best friend."

"I resent that."

"You still call him Capsicle."

"A term of endearment."

"No."

"Yes."

"PEPPER!"

"TONY!"

"I think for him it was love at first sight, as much as it sickens me to say that. He's from the 40's. It doesn't disgust him to wax poetry."

"He calls her Darling," Pepper giggles. "She hates it."

"He only does it to hear her cuss. Just so he can get onto her about her language."

"I think it's sweet."

"You would."

"Have you talked to Julia lately? Jane said she's excited about becoming a grandmother."

"I talked to her the other day."

"And?"

"And I think she has finally started hating me for ruining her figure 26 years ago," he jokes. 

"She's never hated you."

"Well I think Jane made it easier." 

"She tends to do that. She makes you calmer."

"I remember when she was born as if it were yesterday. I wasn't calm then."

"I'm sure."

"I'm just glad she's here now. That's all I ever wanted, even though I'm sure I wasn't ready."

"You're a good father."

"I'm still working on it."

"You'll be a good grandfather."

"Pepper watch your language."

"The baby will be here any day now. You might as well accept that."

Tony laughs as he thinks back. "My father had the grandfather complex when he was introduced to Jane."

"You've forgiven your father?"

Tony sits back, and cocks his head to the side. "You know what, I guess I have."

"You're mother loved Jane. That much was clear when we went through all her old journals."

"Yeah she did. Jane was her girl. I remember taking weekend trips to Virginia to see Jane with her, and her favorite part was playing dress up. My mother collected ribbons and bows just for Jane. I know she would be extremely proud of her right now."

"And Steve."

"And Steve too."

"Let's go to lunch grandpa."

"Whatever you say grandma."

"Ugh. You're right. No grandpa and grandma."

 

 

Jane was up all night walking the floor, the aches in her back making it difficult to sleep. And as difficult as it was leaving her husband, naked and warm in bed, she couldn't lay down a minute longer. 

They say sex can cause labor. Nobody said anything about Super Soldier sex.

Steve got up for his run around 6 a.m. and expressed his concern. Jane sent him off insisting she was fine. The shower sex was phenomenal after his return though, and almost alleviated her pain. What they lacked in creativity to work around their baby's home, Steve made up for in strength, even though she was concerned about her weight he soothed her fears.

"Still as perfect as the day I met you."

"100 pounds heavier."

"No."

In all honesty she hadn't gained that much, but as much as she loved carrying her child, she was ready to start running again, and was jealous of her husband's ability to get up and do so every morning. There was only so much Pilates and a treadmill could do.

She sent Steve off to work with a kiss and a promise to call if anything happened. He was supposed to be helping Bucky with rehab. Jane knew he was still avoiding that at all costs by training with Wanda, and Vision. Jane supported him, and loved him through his denial that he didn't need his best friend. She knew that one day he would be ready to make nice. 

She had yet to meet Bucky. Steve's orders made it impossible to get near his room, much to her frustration. She really wanted to see that arm.

She winces through another pain, and rubs a hand over her belly, talking to her son. "It's nine in the morning. You're normally talking to me, little one. I guess there's not that much more room to move in there anymore."

Another pain hits, and this time she cries out, and she starts to realize that this may be it. "Uncle Sam will be by shortly. He promised doughnuts. I need my energy little one."

Sam ended up coming thirty minutes later with the promised desserts. And 31 minutes later he was rushing her to the medical ward, getting her checked in, Jane complaining the whole way.

"Sam. The baby really wanted those doughnuts! I promised him!"

"Really. Because it would that the baby really wants to meet his mama."

Jane rolls her eyes, and lays back on the bed. "Fine. But after, that whole box is mine." 

"If you say so Nessa."

"You know. You're the only one that calls me that."

"Which is why I call you that." He bends down and grabs her hand. "I'm going to go get your husband from his "therapy session" with Bucky." He rolls his eyes good naturedly. "For all that he is, a super soldier, whatever the hell he is. He sure is a wuss when it comes to feelings. I doubt he'd ever be able to do what you're about to do."

"Of course not. I'm stronger than him," Jane's laugh shakes as she breathes through another contraction. "Shit this hurts."

"Don't let him hear you say that."

"If he says one damn word, he won't come near me with a ten foot pole for the rest of his life."

Sam laughs as he leaves through the door. "That a girl."

 

Sam finds Steve in the rafters of the gym, watching Natasha teach Wanda some new moves. Wanda has expressed an interest in hand to hand combat lately, messing with people's minds wasn't always the answer. 

"So, how's Barnes' therapy session?"

"What," Steve looks up, shocked, "Oh. Hi."

"You know you're not fooling your wife."

"Oh I know. She's smarter than I am."

"Yeah she is. And you're a punk."

"I am," he laughs. "Sometimes I don't deserve her, I feel."

"I hear ya there too, punk. But she loves you."

"She does."

"And she's currently very much in labor."

The amount of time it took for Steve to jump down off the rafters and run for the whole, Sam clocked at approximately eight seconds. "She's in the med-ward!"

"Thanks!"

Shaking his head, Sam climbed down from the rafters slowly. "One of these days, I'm going to get me some of that serum, so I can do all the cool stunts."

Natasha and Wanda watch him shaking their heads laughing. "That's what your wings are for, Sam."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

 

Steve sprinted down the hall, his heart in his throat, and avoided the wait of the elevator and took the stairs four at a time up to the 45th floor. He found her room quickly, and was by her side the instant he saw her, beautiful and breathless from another contraction.

"Steve," she gasps as he pushes some hair from her face, and runs a cool wash cloth over it. Her face is red from exertion, and the pain of the contractions as she manages to focus her breathing again and again. "My doctorate dissertation wasn't as painful as this." 

And there it was. The raw honesty she expressed herself with on a daily basis, was one of the many reasons he loved her. She didn't pretend with him. She was in pain. She knew he knew. She didn't wallow in it. 

"What can I do, baby? Tell me. Anything you want, I'm right here."

"I want a doughnut."

"Except that," he laughs. "I did my homework, darling. I know you can't eat during this part."

"Damn."

"Such language, baby."

She rolls her eyes fondly, and gasps as another wave hits. "So we're good with one kid, right? Because I'm not sure that this is something I want to do again."

"We'll see," he smirks amused, holding her hand, helping her breath. "In and out, baby. That's it."

"Call my mom?"

"Sam is on that right now."

"My dad?"

"He's on that too."

"I want them here."

"I do too."

"And Pepper."

"Of course."

"My god this child hates me," her eyes widen as another wave hits.

"He loves you, he's excited to meet you."

"You sound just like Sam."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"He's a good man."

"He's a great man. A good uncle."

"Yeah," she gasps "he is."

Tony make it first, at a dead sprint he almost misses the room, and runs to her side. 

"Any word yet?" He sits in his designated spot beside the bed, his eyes are wide with worry, as he grabs her other hand. 

Steve reaches over and hands her some ice chips, which she accepts gratefully, and stares ahead focusing on her breathing. Pepper enters next followed directly by Jane's mom Julia, who rushes in and hugs Steve, then leans over and kisses her daughter on the head.

"You look beautiful, darling."

"Thanks momma."

"How come she gets to call you that, and when I do, it's a bad thing?" Steve teases her, his eyes bluer than she's ever seen them.

"She gave me life,"

Sam joined them thirty minutes later, and their little family unit was complete, waiting on their new arrival. Everybody had a claim to baby Rogers. Mother and Father. Grandmother and Grandfather, and Nana, which Pepper has chosen to be called. Uncle. And everybody spent their time sharing stories, and laughter in-between Jane's contractions as one wave after another hit. Bruce came in and checked her every thirty minutes, detailing her progress to the roomful. 

As Jane's contractions drew closer and closer together, the whole room shook with anticipation. Julia fit right in, detailing the room with stories of Jane's childhood, and she loved hearing stories from her son-in-law about his. Tony added a few comments here and there, Jane's pain distracting him from the laughter, his concern increasing with each pain.

Eventually Steve crawled in the bed behind her, his legs on either side of her as she clasped his hands, rested her head back on his shoulder, breathing hard as each pain took her. He whispered silent words of encouragement into her ear as she moaned through the pain.

"Breathe, baby."

"That's it."

"In and out."

"I'm right here. Squeeze my hand."

"I love you."

"You're beautiful."

Steve's litany of praise for his wife left the women in the room misty eyed, and the men in the room to look away from the scene, almost too intimate for them, until Jain gasped out. "Steve. Steve I can't do this. I want to go home."

"You can do this, baby. I promise. And when all of this is over all three of us will go home."

"Our baby."

"Yes, baby. Our baby."

The couple worked together through the rest of her contractions. At the end Jane was struggling to breathe, the contractions too strong for her, so Banner brought her an oxygen mask. 

"Steve. It's been 10 hours. She's not ready in a couple hours we're going to do a c-section. I don't want to add risk to her or the baby." Steve nodded in agreement, when Pepper spoke up. 

"What about an epidural."

"If we do a c-section, we'll have no choice. But right now our best option is not to do it. We don't know what the serum has done to this babies genetics, and while he appears healthy in every ultrasound, I don't want to add any risk to it. So it's best to just help her breathe through this. I'll be in to check her every 10 minutes. Her contractions are being monitored by the nurses at the front desk, and if they see anything concerning they'll let me know. Jane you make sure to let someone know the minute you're ready to push. You're so close, sweetheart."

Julia grabs a wash cloth and wipes her forehead, and rubs Steve's shoulder, and the whole room gathers around the bed. Each one lending support to Jane as they talked her through the contractions, and Steve as his strong facade began to crack under the stress of seeing his wife in so much pain. His blue eyes shining with emotion and unshed tears. As he continued to her.

"We can do this Jane. Listen to me and breathe." The battle tested soldier took the lead in the birthing room, and everyone snapped to attention. The women made work on making Jane comfortable. Tony took a hand from Steve, and fed her strength silently. Sam kept the Avengers informed who were all waiting for their newest little Avenger to make his debut. Pepper fluffed pillows, and kept feeding ice to Jane in between contractions, soothing her the best way she knew how. 

Jane exhausted as she was, an hour in a half later squeezed Steve's hand hard, as she gasped. "I've gotta push. I've gotta push."

The room burst into a frenzy as nurses came in with the bassinet, warm blankets, and every item needed for Jane and Baby Rogers after he was born. Steve maintained his place behind her, Sam and Tony stood one on each side of her, and the two grandmothers-to-be stood by her legs, hoping to catch the first glimpse of the little boy. Bruce came in with a big smile, checking her again to make sure she was ready, and set to work, giving instructions to the nurses as they prepped. 

"Ok Jane. Next contraction, go ahead and push." He started to get ready and a nurse helped her shift her legs into birthing position, a sheet placed over her for modesty. Bruce took his place at the end of the bed, and Jane was ready to go. 

Jane was exhausted. She gathered what strength she had left, and pushed as hard as she could. Every time Steve had an encouraging word to say, and all Jane wanted to do was kick him in the throat.

"You're doing so good, baby girl."

"Shut up!"

"Breathe baby."

"Steven Grant Rogers you're never touching me again!"

"We'll see baby."

"NEVER! OH GOD THIS HURTS SO BAD!"

 

Steve admired his wife. His hand ached from her clutching it so hard, which only meant to show how much pain she was in. He'd be the first to admit he couldn't do it. He worked with her, even through her verbal attacks, as she brought her son, their son into the world. 

Steve swore he wouldn't cry. And he tried not to. But when Bruce laid his little boy onto Jane's chest he couldn't stop the tears, and hid his face in her hair, kissing her over and over again. The whole room was stunned at the beauty of the scene. Tony swallowed a lump of emotion as he reached out and touched the newborn's tiny hand, not bothered by the fluid still covering his body. Pepper and Julia stifled their tears with their fists over their mouth. Even Sam's eyes were shining.

Jane openly sobbed when she caught sight of her baby, running a hand over his tiny head, and Steve's hand soon joined hers, as he continuously kissed her cheek thanking her.

The baby was soon taken by the nurses as Banner finished stitching her up. Julia, Tony, Pepper, and Sam made their way outside to give the couple privacy as they cleaned both newborn and mother and prepared the room for visitors. Steve watched with a careful eye his newborn. Watching for any signs of sickness, his heart in his throat. Watching his every breath, his every cry. 

He didn't notice Bruce come up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. 

"He's healthy, Steve. Breathing is good. Oxygen level is good. That baby is 6 pounds of pure, healthy adorableness." Steve rose a brown and Bruce groaned. "I've been hanging out with Darcy way too much." Steve laughs.

He can barely breathe when the nurse places the child in his arms, he can only stare at the little boy and marvel at his perfection. This was clearly his child. His eyes, his blonde hair, his long fingers, torso, legs. He had his mother's mouth. The pout that got her so much out of him was clear now on his son's face. He carried him to his mother, and placed him gently in his arms.

Jane looked natural holding her little boy. The awe in her eyes took Steve's breath away, again. He listened as she talked to her baby boy as if it was the most natural thing in the world to her. 

"Thanks for coming out of me. I can see my feet again," she laughs, and the light in her eyes matched that of the brightest sun. "Steve. He's perfect."

"He is," he takes the chair next to the bed and watches her. "You still sure about the whole me not touching you thing?"

She laughs. "Oh you'll be touching me. Just not that way, not right now, at least. But we're making another one of these."

"Yes darling."

She smiles and turns her eyes to her son again, who's blinking at the bright light, curling his fingers around his father's pinky.

"We need a name Steve."

"I know baby. Well, I thought we could name them after your father."

"Tony?"

"Both of your fathers."

"Really? You really want that? But what about you?"

"Jane. These men gave me the greatest gift on earth."

"Your father gave me you."

He shakes his head. "The serum gave you me. I wouldn't be here today without it. I probably wouldn't have made it past the age of 25 without."

"If you don't want to then we don't have to."

"I think Henry Anthony Rogers is a fine name for our son."

"Me too," she looks down at the bundle in her arms. "Want to hold him before we let the hoards in?"

"I held him, baby. Let's let them in. The sooner we do, the sooner we get him to ourselves."

 

Julia held her grandson first. Followed by Pepper, then Tony who was emotional over his inclusion in his grandson's name alone. Julia smiled at the honor the two gave to her late husband's memory in his inclusion.

"He would've loved him Jane. Look at him! He's so handsome! Just like his daddy."

Steve beamed. The pride on his face masking the emotion from earlier. 

Sam was next, followed by Darcy. The uncle and aunt took turns telling little Henry who was going to spoil him the most. 

Natasha held him next. Steve was grateful she was here, holding his son. Natasha had become almost like a sister to him, and was an important staple in his life. 

Bruce held him last and congratulated the two of them on their good work to which Steve answered cockily, "It was easy. Two weeks of uninterrupted sex in Malibu. I'd like to do that again." The whole room laughed as Jane smacked him across the back of the head.

"Steve!"

"What?!"

The room slowly cleared out leaving the new parents and their baby alone. Jane fed the little one, then handed him off to his father, who finally got to have a heart to heart with him.

"Hello son," he cleared his throat, his voice full of emotion. "I really can't believe that you're here," his voice breaks and he lifts the newborn to his shoulder, rocking him. 

He looks up to see Jane watching him, the smile on her face. "Thank you baby. You have given me everything I didn't think I needed."

"Steve," she breathed, "You deserve so much more than you think you do. I'm happy that you're with me. I'm happy to go on this journey with you"

"Well when you put it like that," she laughs and pats the bed next to her as she scoots over. He notices her wince. "Do you need anything? What can I get you?"

"How about a damn doughnut?!"

"Ok. And after we'll talk about your Tony making our son an Iron Baby outfit?!"

"I didn't know!"

Steve gives her a stern look, and hands their son back to her. 

"Ok I knew."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this chapter! The more I write Steve/Jane the more I want them to be real. Let me know what you think!


	7. Interrupted Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor's back, and old feelings resurface.

Thor was back.

Jane hadn't been released yet, and Steve had gone to get some coffee for the new mother. Thor came in just after he left. Nobody knew he was even on Earth. Steve found himself standing outside the door listening in on the conversation. 

Jane looked up and smiled when Thor came into the room, her baby feeding at her breast, he pulled up a seat and silently watched her as she pulled a cover over her for privacy. 

"How are you. I didn't know you were even here. The sensors didn't pick up anything."

"I am well." Thor looked as if he was studying her. "I see the child has arrived." The tone in his voice was tight with emotion. 

"Yes. But you knew that already, or else you wouldn't be here."

"Yes."

"What's up Thor? Why all the dramatic, tense, brooding things going on?"

"Are you happy Jane?" Steve held his breath as he waited on his wife to respond to her ex's question, he noticed Thor stand and walk to the end of the bed, staring out the window. "Be honest with me."

"I am. I'm very happy."

"Why him? Why Steven?"

"Because he was there."

"I was there too, Jane. I loved you! I still love you. This could have been us. Our child. Our life."

Steve noticed Jane sit up straighter, tense, the newborn beginning to fuss at his mother's tension. His heart went out to his son, he was too young to be in the middle of any of this. 

"Thor. You weren't there. Not at all."

"I was Jane, I asked after you all the time."

"Asking after me, and being with me are two different things."

"What would you have me do? I have priorities."

"Yes. You do," Jane snapped. "And none of those priorities include a wife and a child."

"My duty is to protect the nine realms first, my heart second. You know this. I thought we agreed to this."

"I agreed to nothing."

"You were pregnant with my child."

"And you did nothing about it. You weren't there! You weren't there Thor. I kept comparing the beginning of my pregnancy with Henry, with my first one. That's all I could compare it to. The main difference? Steve was there. Throughout it all. Holding my hair, rubbing my back, comforting me when I'd had enough. It was every bit his pregnancy as it was mine."

"He took advantage of you. Of your instability after losing our child."

"He did no such thing," she sighs, and Steve sees her lift the infant to her shoulder. Thor's eyes widen as he sees the boy's face. "Why are you here, Thor?"

"I love you, Jane."

"Try again."

"You love me too."

"I love Steve. He's my husband. My friend. He's got 3 billion people depending on him everyday, much like you do, except that I know at the end of the day he's going to come home. I know he has his job. But I also know where his first priority is."

"You cannot compare his job to mine."

"You're right. It's apples to oranges. But you know one thing I can compare is how he was there, he is here, and you never were."

Thor nods to the baby and takes his seat again. "He looks like his father."

"I'm happy for that. His father is a handsome man."

"You will outlive them Jane. You know this. How is this fair to them?"

"Thor. I'm not worried about that right now."

"Have you told him," his voice raises, and Steve stares at the wall wondering what is going on.

"That's none of your business."

"The Aether did something to your life force, even Odin sees it. You are not aging as you were."

"Neither is Steve."

"It's not the same thing!"

"IT IS THE SAME THING! You think that I don't worry about this every single day in my life. My heart stops every moment when I think about not being with him. I can't even fathom it. And I know I need to tell him. And I will. Everything is just so damn good between us now. I could lose him today, or he could lose me tomorrow. But all that matters to me is that he's mine, for however long I have him. And if Banner has anything to say about it, the Avengers are going to be around for a very long time."

"You would risk his loss for your selfish needs?"

"How is that any different than what you were willing to do for me."

"That is not the same thing."

"It is."

"That should be my child. This should be me. He has everything that I have ever wanted with you. Tell me something. How easy was it for you to fall into his bed?"

Steve had almost heard enough, his fists curled at his side, when he heard Jane sigh. He looked in, and she was staring down at their son, the most peaceful smile on her face and he knew she was ok. "It was as easy for me to fall in love with him, as it was to fall out of love with you. You think I don't love you. That's ok. I'll always love you. Steve knows this too. But he knows that he's my number one, and I'll never love anyone like I love him. This baby proves that I think."

"Yes, because it's uncommon to have a child with someone you don't love these days. And what was our child to you?"

"What was it to you?"

"A child. And heir."

"I loved our baby," Jane hissed through her teeth. "Even you can't deny that I loved our child. It took me a year to even admit I loved Steve because I was too jaded over you, and the loss of our baby, and what Odin had no right in taking from me!"

"We could have started over! He won't live forever! You could have lived on Asgard, with me. Among the stars! Your stars, Jane! That was, is still my greatest wish."

"I have my life here now Thor. I have everything I could ever dream of. This is my life. These are my stars. Steve. Henry. My Tony, Pepper, mom, Sam, Darcy, Bruce, Natasha. They're my family. As messed up as we are, it works. I couldn't imagine sharing this," she motions down to her son asleep propped up against her thighs, his soft downy blonde hair already taking on his father's curl, and tiny cowlick at the back. tiny long fingers grasping hers as he sucks on his pacifier. The tense moment from before, already forgotten as he sleeps peacefully. "I couldn't imagine sharing this with anyone other than Steve. I can't believe how lucky I am." She shakes her head snapping out of her daze, and Steve thinks he sees a little glisten in her eyes. "You can think what you want about me, about Steve. But you can't take away what he gave me. What I gave him. The real difference between you and him? He's a man. He's my man. You aren't. You never were."

Steve watches Thor leave in a huff, then sinks back against the wall. The private moment between his wife and friend now over, he hadn't realized until now how much she had actually invested into their relationship. Her coffee now cold in his hand, he leaves to replace it with a new one, before walking back to the room she shares with their son. Her smile is bright when she sees him again, and the look in her eyes, of pure adoration, nearly brings him to his knees.

"Thor came by," she motioned to the now vacant chair. "We had words."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she looks down at their baby, and runs a finger over his forehead gently. "I can't believe he's ours."

It was clear she didn't want to talk about the conversation with her ex, and he wasn't going to push her. She would talk when she was ready. She had already proved she would. "He's perfect. You did a good job."

"Are you kidding? He looks exactly like you! He's beautiful."

Steve pretends to puff out his chest in a false sense of pride, "All in a days work Ma'am."

"Stop it," her giggle light and free as she grabbed for his hand and her face turned serious, "I never got to thank you."

"For what baby?"

"For pursuing me, even when I didn't want to be."

"I'm a selfish man, Jane Foster."

"Rogers."

"What?"

"It's Rogers now."

"How can I forget something as important as that?!"

She laughs again, and gives his hand a squeeze, then looks back at their son. "He questioned me. I don't think I did a very good job at convincing him that anything between him and I is so far in the past. I think he was jealous. He said that this should have been his baby. That I should have gone with him to Asgard. And I kept thinking how once upon a time, that use to be my dream." She inhales deeply, and tucks the blanket around Henry's legs, the little one yawning in his sleep, his pacifier dropping to the bed, and she picks it up and hands it to him to set on the table beside the bed. 

Steve sits on the bed next to her, so he has a full view of his little family, smiling at his son's dream state. "And now? What's your dream now?"

"You," she answers quickly and his heart stops. The determination in her voice, the way she knew what she wanted, knew it was Steve, soothed any fears that he had about ever losing her to her ex. "I'm living my dream with you. I have everything I could ever want," she gently lays the sleeping baby in her husband's arms, and adjusts her shirt. Her breasts, full and aching, "I need to pump. I got my milk in last night, and it hurts. He doesn't eat that much." 

"Where's it at baby? Let me get it for you."

"It's in our apartment. I don't want you to leave."

"Well. We could call Pepper."

"That sounds great."

Steve put a call into Pepper, and then laid back, his on asleep on his chest, when Jane looks up at him. "Do you have a dream, Steve.?"

"I do."

"What is it? Your dream?"

"You. Me. Henry. Maybe another two kids. A home in upstate New York with a white picket fence. Peace." He shakes his head as if to clear his mind. 

"That's a wonderful dream baby."

"What about you? Do you have one?"

"It's changed in recent years."

"What is it?"

"Family, love, support, you. You're my dream. I don't think I could do any of this," she motions to Henry. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"I believe you could have. But I'm glad you didn't have to." He looks up and smiles at Pepper at the door, Tony behind her, proudly carrying the breast pump for his daughter, sitting it down beside her, and taking his grandson from Steve's arms.

"Hello, Little Stevie."

Steve rolls his eyes, and smiles at Pepper, who is helping Jane with the device. "Sorry Steve, he was with me when you called."

"It's ok, Pepper. I'm use to it."

She nods and smiles wistfully at the little boy in her fiance's arms. "He is so cute. You guys did good."

"Thanks," he grins cheekily. 

He looks over and helps Jane with the machine, and she sighs in relief when it finally starts to work. Her head falls back to her pillow the machine whirs. "Steve only pretends to be modest because his son looks just like him. Truth is he has a complex in which he's proud of his good work."

"He looks like a Stark to me."

"Shut up, Tony. That boy is Steve through and through."

"He has Jane's mouth. That's a Stark mouth." 

Pepper rolls her eyes good-naturedly and goes to take the baby from Tony, and he protests. "I just got him!"

"And I'm sure you'll get him back before we leave. I want to talk to my grandson."

Steve listened to Tony and Pepper bicker back and forth over their grandson, while he helped his wife adjust the pump. "Does it hurt?"

"No. It just feels like Henry feeding on me, except a little more insistent."

"What does that feel like?"

"The most incredible feeling in the world."

"Yeah?"

She shrugs and leans into him, watching her son wistfully. "The most amazing feeling in the world."

 

Tony ordered a couple of pizzas and a movie for the group. Another excuse to spend more time with his grandson, but Steve didn't mind. Nor did Jane. The movie was good, and the family time together, was even better. Steve understood his father-in-law better now than he ever has. And when it was time for them to leave, Pepper had to pry the little boy out of his arms. She kissed Steve's cheek as she laid the little boy in his father's arms, then leaned over to kiss the baby and Jane. "Love you guys. Let us know when you break out tomorrow. We'll be there."

Jane sighs when they leave and reaches for the baby, and Steve happily indulges her, laying the tiny person in his mothers arms. "I can't get enough of him," he leans down for a lingering kiss, "of you, Jane. I love you both so much. Here I was thinking that I didn't need this. Need a family. I was ready to get back to work. You walked in and turned all my plans upside down."

"Sorry about that."

"I'm not," he kisses her again, running a hand over her hair, shining as the moonlight touches it through the window. "I heard. I was outside the door when Thor was in here. I heard it all."

"Why didn't you say anything."

"Because I didn't want you to speak to him, to defend yourself to him out of obligation to me."

Her eyes immediately turned angry and he has to step back. "Enlighten me, Captain. How would I be obligated to defend myself to him, because of you?"

"Jane don't. I didn't mean it like that."

"All this time. You still don't believe how much I love you? That I care for you?"

"I do. I do baby."

"You cannot keep questioning me on this, Steve."

"I'm not, seriously," he brushes her arm and pulls away and his heart pounds as he tries to find the words to fix this fast. "Jane. I know you still love him. It's just hard to live with that."

"How is it any different than you still loving, Peggy?"

"That's not fair, Jane."

"No! You know what's not fair? Me having to prove myself to you over and over again that I love you! I don't ever question your love for her. You see her more than I ever see Thor."

Steve's temper was on the edge. "You said you didn't mind that! I would have stopped if you had!"

"I don't want you to stop! That's the point!" Steve takes the baby from her arms, and lays him in the bassinet, away from the yelling. "If I an accept you still love her, AND love me, how can you NOT accept that it's the same for me?!"

"It's not the same! I've accepted that that chapter of my life is over. I accepted it long before I met you."

"And you can't fathom that I could move on from Thor to you in much the same way."

"NO! I can't! Is that what you want to hear?" His tone turns into an angry whisper and he leans in. Dragging in old fears from the past was never a good way to settle an argument, but he decided to do it anyway. "I put up with a lot of shit when we first got together. I was so in love with you-"

"You are NOT bringing this up again!"

"The hell I'm not! You pushed me on the back burner for months, for HIM. Even though you kept saying that relationship was over. It was done, I was still paying for his damn mistakes. And NOW, you have the right to jump down my throat when I'm not feeling too secure about your feelings for me?"

"You said we were done. We were past that."

"Well evidently we're not! I'm not done. I'm-"

"I can't, and I will not, continue paying for past mistakes," her voice low, angry as she looked at him with absolute hate in her eyes, and his heart broke.

"Jane I-"

"Just leave, Steve."

"Jane. Baby. Come on, don't do this. It's just a fight. A stupid fight"

"Get out!"

He swallows hard, wanting to kiss her, but she looks away. He moves to the baby, and leans down to kiss his cheek, stroking it softly before looking at her one last time before walking out. Trying not to flinch at the sound of her sobs as he walks down the hallway, his hands in his pockets, and his head down, he whispers. "I love you, Jane."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally cried when writing this ending.


	8. Fight For Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friendship renewed. And Jane and Steve have the most important fight of their lifetime.

Steve did the first thing that came to his mind after leaving his wife's room. And after going through five punching bags, he decided he'd had enough. He walked back up to Jane's room, where she was sleeping peacefully, he wrote a note and left it where she could see it if woke. He took his sleeping son, and walked down the hall and turned right to where he knew Bucky was being kept. 

He stood there for a minute, taking a couple of big deep breaths, and knocked on the door. Bucky gave him permission to enter, so he opened the door slowly. 

Steve was in shock. He hadn't seen his childhood best friend in months. Avoiding the reality that was the former Bucky Barnes, and now seeing him for the first time since he start his rehabilitation, Steve recognized differences. His hair was still long, and his eyes were lighter. The metal arm was still there but was no long clenched in anger, and he had a late night sitcom on tv. Bucky knew him too, and offered him a seat while he stared at the baby. He was the first to speak. 

"They told me that your wife had the child. I didn't think I'd ever get to meet him."

Steve could only stare at him. "I didn't think that you would."

"So why the change now."

He shrugged and looked down at his son, and Bucky moved closer, he tried not to tense up. "I've been busy."

"i can see that, Punk. He looks like you. Of course, I've only see a glimpse of his mother. Where is she at?"

"She's asleep."

"Why are you here, Steve?"

"I think I messed up, Buck." The old nickname slipping out as they fell into a familiar banter, neither of them had heard in ages.

"That sounds familiar. What did you do?"

Steve shakes his head and sighs, the weight of the world on his shoulders as he searched for ways to make up with his wife. "Ma told me the worst thing you could do in a relationship is go to bed angry. But I am angry, I'm so angry with her right now."

"That's fair."

"But she's angry too, Buck. She kicked me out of the room. I don't even know what that means. She's never done that before."

"Well, I think it means she kicked me out of the room," the confusion on his face would have been comical if Steve hadn't been so upset.

"She's so mad at me. And now she doesn't want to see me. She's THAT mad. She's never been this mad. I tried to cool it down, but she-" his voice breaks. "What if I messed it up? I could have just chased her back into his arms. Oh god!"

"Whose arms?"

"Thor's, her ex. He visited today. I was there. I heard the whole conversation. I guess I got jealous."

"Why?"

"Because she still loves him."

"O-k. Then why are you with her? If she has feelings for another man."

"I can't explain it. I know she loves me. I have to fix this."

"If you know she loves you, then why is there a 'this?'"

"Because, how can she love me, Bucky? I'm the small kid from Brooklyn that use to get beat up from never walking away. I'm not so good at this. She says she loves me. And most of the time I believe her. But Thor's a god. He's a specimen from the stars. Her stars. How can I compete with that?"

"If you have to question that then you shouldn't have married her in the first place."

"Whadaya mean?"

"You don't trust her."

"I do."

"You don't, else you wouldn't be questioning her now."

"You don't know what I'm up against."

"I remember Thor." He touches his arm in remembrance. "If you're having these concerns, you need to talk to her. Talk them out, and find a solution."

"What if-" his voice catches. "What if there is no solution."

"Then you divorce."

Steve voice caught in his throat. 

"Relax Punk, I hear it's not a big deal these days."

"But she's my girl."

"If you honestly believed that, you wouldn't be here right now."

"I can't leave her Buck," he stands, clenching his little boy to his chest. "I think this is all just some mistake, and when she wakes, we can sit through this and talk it out. I mean, we have a child, he's only a few days old. He can't-"

"You're going to keep questioning her if she keeps this man in her life, Steve. And why is she so mad at you?"

"Because I still talk to Peggy."

"Oh."

"It's different with Peggy."

"I'm sure," Bucky mutters sarcastically, and holds his arms out for the baby. Steve stares at him for a moment before Bucky continues, "Before you squeeze him to death." 

Steve lays the baby in his arms, and swallows hard. 

"I won't hurt him, Punk. I haven't had an episode in months."

"It is different with Peggy," Steve watches him as he sits with the baby.

"How is it different with her."

"I've put it behind me."

"And she hasn't?"

"How could she?"

"I think considering she married you and just gave birth to your child are two very good reasons. You cannot keep rubbing this relationship with her ex in her face. Did she say anything to her ex today that made you wonder if she loved you?"

"She told him that she still loves him. She always would."

"In what context? What did she say after?"

"That I knew she did?"

"What else, Punk?"

"That I was her life now. Her dream."

"Then why are you here? What triggered this?"

"It was just an argument."

"Doesn't sound like just an argument," Bucky raises his brows as he looks at him, and it's a familiar comfort to Steve, who had received that look many times when they were younger.

"I don't know," Steve rubs the back of his head. "I can't lose her, Bucky. Not like this."

"You're talking like it's already happened."

"I feel like it has."

"You need to take your son back to his Ma. You need to talk to her. I can't help you here."

"What if she tells me to leave, Bucky?"

"Then you fight that much harder to get her back, Punk." He hands the baby back to him gently, "He's a good kid, Steve. Don't stay away too long next time."

"I'll come see you tomorrow, Jerk."

Steve carried his child through the hall again, this time back to his room. His heart pounding when he notices the light back on. He walks in and sees Jane glaring at him. He lays the sleeping baby in his bassinet and turns to face her, hands in his pocket. His eyes bright, scared, as future possibilities race through his mind. "Don't hate me. Please. I couldn't live with that, Jane."

She stares at him, expression blank. "I'm scared, Jane. You've given me everything I've ever wanted, and you could take it away in the blink of an eye" She continues to stare past him, and he wonders if she's even listening to him. "I took the baby to see Bucky. He loved him. We talked." Jane nods, and he's encouraged to continue. "He told me I was stupid, and that if I didn't trust you, why did I marry you."

She nods in agreement. "I wanted to ask you the same question," and his heart beats a little faster. 

"I do trust you."

"No you don't. It's one of the reasons you were eaves dropping me on me when he was here today."

"I do trust you." He follows her with his eyes as she stands and walks to the window, "Jane I, I don't leave me ok. We can work this out. I'll learn how to deal with this."

"We have one fight, and you automatically assume that I'm going to leave you? Boy you really don't trust me, do you."

"Jane, that's not what I meant. I just can't live without you."

"You have before."

"No. No I haven't."

Jane says nothing, but stares outside, and Steve walks up behind her, hating that he can't touch her, wanting so badly to hold her in his arms. "Ma always told me when I was a boy that the key to sustaining a happy marriage was to never go to bed angry. I don't even know if what we have is real anymore. But I want to work this out."

"Let me get this straight. You basically believe that I've been lying to you all this time about my feelings, only because a conversation with my EX boyfriend today. Yet you still want to be with me?" She watches him swallow and nod, his eyes searching hers. "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?! I feel like shit Steve! Like maybe I'm not good enough for you-"

"You are, Jane. I swear you are!"

"Like you're doing me a favor by being with me! Like anything I feel for your is null and void!"

"Jane. Please. Tell me you love me, I can live with that."

"I've told you many times before. Hell. I had a child with you," she bites her lip and tears up. "Are you picking a fight with me to leave me? Is that what this is?"

"No. I'm not."

"So what about everything we've been through together? The countless hours together? Our marriage, our honeymoon. Henry's birth. You went through all of that with me, still feeling that I could be lying to you about my affection for you. Or that I don't love you enough." 

"I always thought there was a possibility that you could leave if he offered you a good enough reason."

"Thor?"

"Yeah, him. And then I find out today that you're practically Asgardian now, and you didn't have the decency to tell me yourself!"

"I'm not Asgardian."

"Tell me something. When were you ever going to tell me that your life force was altered because of the Aether? Didn't you think that would affect me? Our son? I had a right to know, and you kept me in the dark, and I had to find out from the man who still is in love with my wife, knowing that she still loves him too. So don't put all of this on me Jane Foster. What were you going to do after I die? Go back to him? What am I some sort of dalliance?"

"Steve that's not fair. That's not what this is and you know that."

"HOW DO I KNOW THAT?!" He notices Pepper and Tony come in, concern on their faces, and notices them watch from the corner of his eye, standing in front of the bassinet. "You haven't been honest with me from the very beginning. I had a right to know that, at the very least when we got married." He steps back and shakes his head, watching her swallow hard, and wrap her arms around herself, shivering. "You never were going to tell me, because it wasn't a priority with me." He shakes his head as she reaches for him.

"Steve. That's not true," she pulls back her hand, and looks down at the floor. "I should have told you. You're right. I just figured that it wasn't that big of deal at the moment."

"And when would it have been a big deal?"

"I don't know."

"I've told you everything about me. You know me. You know everything I've ever done in my whole life. You know who I am better than I know myself. You know what's not fair. THIS isn't fair. You've been lying to me-" 

"No. Steve. I love you."

"No you don't." He steps back and Pepper gasps. 

"Steve," she steps in. "Think this through son." Tony nods in agreement. "You've just had a baby. Emotions are high."

"You knew about this? This Aether thing?"

Tony and Pepper both nod and look away. "That's great. That's really great. That's fantastic. So I'm the only one to not know this. Wow. I feel so god damn special Jane."

"Steve," Tony stepped in. "We don't know much about it yet. And we wanted to figure it out. The only people that know are me and Pepper."

"And Thor," Steve's eyes an angry blue.

"Yes, but only because he was there. And you can't be mad at her about that because you weren't even in the picture then."

"I'm in the picture now!" He turned and looked at Jane only to see tears in her eyes as she stares at him. He tried not to let his pound as he looks at her hurt expression. "I don't think I can do this now. Not after this."

"Steve," she gasps. "You said, you said we can work it out. To not go to bed angry."

"How can I even trust you, Jane?"

"Steve, I love you. I can't deny that I love Thor, because I do. He was my first love. I can't do anything about that. But I know my heart now. And it's yours Steve," her lips start to quiver and he looks away. "I would never deny you the right to love Peggy. I know what she means to you, but I also know that you love me." She steps back shakily, her breathing harsh, "All of this is just a terrible nightmare. I should have told you about the Aether, but truthfully. I never think about it anymore. I just-" 

"You should have told me."

"Steve. I don't care how long I have to live, or how long I have with you. I just know that as long as I have you by my side that I'll be fine. You have to believe that. You've changed my life."

"I got you pregnant. As Thor would say, it happens all the time. Not a big deal."

"You can't say that perfect little boy wasn't created out of anything less than love." She looks over at her parents, and they leave the room giving them some privacy, she motions to the sofa in the corner, asking him to sit. He does, and she follows sitting next to him, taking his hand. He tries to pull back, but she resists. "I won't deny that I messed up, and I apologize. I'm really sorry. I should have told you. You're my husband, and I love you. I trust you with my life," she lifts his chin. "But you messed up too. It hurts me so bad that you think that you're just a diversion. That every time I've said I love you that you weren't sure of it."

"Jane this isn't-"

"If we don't talk this through right now, I have no doubt that you'll walk through that door and never look at me again. I couldn't live with that Steve. I can't live with this," she motions between them. "This right now. It's breaking my heart. The last time you thought this you left me for months. It's a little different now. Steve. I want nothing more to be with you. But I can't continue to do this every time Thor comes back. If this is going to be an issue then we might as well settle it now. I'm sure Tony has some fancy lawyers that haven't been so busy lately," she chokes back a sob as he stares at her. "Say something, Steve."

"I don't know, Jane. I just don't know right now." She sits back and stares ahead, bringing a hand to her mouth as she stares across the room at the bassinet. 

"I wish you would've told me this sooner. That you were feeling this way. It's not fair to Henry to be put through this. Do you think you'll ever believe me? That I love you. Do you love me?"

"You know I do,Jane."

"How do I know?"

"Because I let you know."

"How is that different from what I do for you?"

"You lied to me."

"Is it lying when it doesn't even come up in my mind anymore?"

"I don't know what that means."

"So you've been honest with me. This whole time? What about Sharon? How do I know that something more hasn't been going on? You sure seem comfortable with her. Or anyone else for that matter? Natasha?"

"You can't be serious."

"I am serious! I'm so damn serious right now. I'm trying to fight for my relationship! You're the father of my child, and I'll be damned if I let him grow up in a broken home! You don't seem to care! How can you not care about this?!"

"I DO CARE!"

"Then do something about it damn-it! You said earlier that you didn't want me to leave you, but it's fine if you leave me? Is that it?! Know the main difference between you and Thor today? Thor is still trying to fight for me, and he doesn't have a chance! You on the other hand are acting like a jackass because I made one mistake!"

"Don't compare me to him!"

"THEN DON'T ACT LIKE HIM!"

He lays back defeated, eyes closed tight, as he breathes. "He's a god, Jane. I'm not...that."

"I never asked you to be, Steve. If I wanted God, I would pray."

He chuckles, and the tension from the room releases. "I guess I get what you're saying. About Thor. About Peggy. I don't want to. But I do."

"And?"

"I'm still mad about the Aether."

"I'll give you that."

"You give me one."

"I'm mad that you doubt my feelings for you."

"I'll give that to you."

"I'm mad that we had a fight around Henry. He's too little."

"I agree. I apologize."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have sent you from the room," she grabs his hand.

"It led me to talk to Bucky again. I'm pretty sure he's on your side, and was just indulging me. He called me Punk a lot."

She laughs and it soothes his aching heart. "Do I get to meet him now?"

"As long as you promise not to dissect his arm."

"I'm a Stark. There are no guarantees."

"You're a Rogers."

"Yeah," she breathes as he leans in for a kiss. "I am."


	9. A Princess Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane meets Bucky. What secret is Thor hiding?

Jane and Henry were able to go home the next morning and Steve was proud as he walked out carrying Henry in his arms with Jane's bag over his shoulder and Jane's small hand in his. The nurses, and other random people the pass, cooing at the newborn as they passed. "I guess I better get use to the fact that I am no longer the handsome one in this family."

"You're still handsome. Just not as handsome as your son." They arrived home, and he helped her shower, the baby in his seat as Steve helped her wash. "Ugh. I feel so disgusting. At least you don't have to help me shave anymore," she laughs as he helps her shampoo her hair.

"You look beautiful. And I didn't mind that much. It always ended up pleasurably for me." He smirks satisfied as her face turns red, then helps her out of the shower, carefully aware that she is still moving slow from the stitches. "This is going to be a long six weeks. I can't stand it." He leans in and kisses her. "Look. I know we have a lot to talk about, and I'm not putting that off. Just not today, alright? I promised Bucky I'd see him today. And he wants to meet you. Is that alright?"

"Yes. Of course."

"You don't mind him coming up here?"

"As long as you're here, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"I love you."

"I love you too. I may take a little nap while you go get him." 

"That's alright baby, He can play with the baby first." 

"Sounds good," Jane gives him a light kiss before bending down to lift their son, and lay him in his bassinet by the bed, then crawls into bed herself. "I missed this bed. I don't eve know how you slept on that damn couch."

"It was worth it. You went through the real pain," he nods towards Henry and bends to kiss her again before straightening up. "Get some rest. I'll try not to make too much noise. It feels good to have my friend back."

"I'm sure. I'm happy for you Steve."

 

He leaves the room, light on his feet as he feels the weight of the world lift off his shoulders. The tough conversation would wait till later. She said she loved him, and he would take that for now. He made his way down medical bay, and went to Bucky's room, asking if he wanted to go meet Jane. Bucky agreed, and Steve soon found himself checking him out for the visit, and leading him upstairs. Once they were in the elevator, Bucky's eye widened further the higher the elevator went. 

"I thought we were going to your place."

"We are."

"Stark must take care of his team mates."

"I'm not sure what that means."

"In buildings like these, the higher you are the more important and expensive you are."

"Oh. Well this is Jane's actual apartment. It's bigger. Got more room, so it was easier for me to move in rather than her. Mine is actually on the floor below. This is the Stark family level."

"Stark must think well of Jane then."

"She's his daughter."

"Damn Punk. You married up."

"Yeah. I suppose I did. She doesn't live like it though, so don't get too excited." They arrive home, and Steve lets them in quietly, and goes into their room and gently lifts the baby boy into his arms, and carries him out. He catches Bucky looking at the pictures around the fire place, stopping at the one of Steve with Jane, in Malibu. A picture that Steven had demanded she frame for nothing else except he loved her in that bikini. He smiles as Bucky lets out a low whistle. 

"They don't make them like they use to, Punk. All that fabric, just to cover a tiny portion of body. That her?"

"That's her."

"She's young."

"She is."

"Got some legs on her."

Steve rolls his eyes, amused, and sitting on the couch with Henry in his arms. "They're great."

Bucky laughs and follows him to the couch. "Things better between you guys?"

"We fought. Hard," Steve inhales shakily. "I think I was just being stupid. She apologized, but she's hurt. I get that. I just can't let him intimidate me every time he shows up. I can't stop him from seeing her."

"Why not."

Steve sighs and stands to move Henry to his swing, adjusting the speed to a gentle motion, "they didn't have these when we were young. Jane made sure we had one."

"My ma would have loved one of them."

"Yeah. Anyway," he sits back down. "Before, well, us. Jane was affected by some power gem called the Aether. I don't think it's Asgardian, its more of a galaxy gem. Sort of like the Tesseract," Bucky gasps in remembrance and Steve continues. "Yeah. So she had it inside of her. She was dying. But from what I understand. No human should have been able to wield that much power, and she did. She couldn't control it though. Thor had his friend Heimdall check on her every night. Heimdall is Asgard's guardian. He can see everything, hear everything. One night he couldn't see Jane. She was in darkness. Thor came back to Earth and took her to Asgard. Apparently they had the Elf guy that attacked London draw it out of her, but not before it affected her. It changed her body."

"How."

"I guess much the same way the serum changed mine." Steve shrugs. "She didn't tell me though. I got angry. I had to hear about it from Thor."

"When you were eavesdropping."

"Yeah."

"I'm on her side, Punk. Can't go against a girl with legs like those."

"Well thanks," a throat clears from across the room, revealing Jane, awake from her nap. "I'm flattered." Bucky stands at attention, and lets out another low whistle, whispering to Steve.

"Even better in person." 

Steve rolls his eyes and stands, sharing an amused look with Jane as she walks to him, and gives him a light kiss. "Bucky, this is Jane, my wife."

"Nice to meet ya ma'am. You let me know when you're tired of this old man. I'll show you a nice time." Steve scoffs and tucks her into his side.

"Aren't you older than him?"

"Tiny miniscule detail, Doll."

"Bucky! Stop hitting on her!"

"What?! What does that even mean?"

"It means to flirt."

"I swear I'll never get use to this new language. Darcy's been trying to give me lessons. Now that girl right there. MM."

Jane laughs and sits down watching the banter between them, and keeping an eye on her child and husband, her heart full of love and life. When it was time for Bucky to go back she felt as if a family member was leaving. The easiness her husband had with Bucky was astonishing considering that he had been avoiding Bucky at all costs. When she stood up to tell Bucky goodbye he pulled her into a hug, wrapping both arms around her tight. 

"He's lucky to have you, Doll. Don't let his stupid insecurities drive you away from him. He needs you more than you know."

"Thanks Bucky."

"Anytime, Doll. Let me know when I need to kick his ass for you. I may not win, but I sure as hell can try."

"I will."

Steve rolls his eyes as he leaves to take Bucky back to the MedBay and check him back in. On his way out he meets Darcy, heading into see Bucky, and he briefly wonders if something is going on between the two of them, then sees Natasha leaning against the wall. 

"They're seeing each other. Kind of. As much as he is allowed."

"Bucky? And Darcy?"

"Yeah. It's kind of..." she searches for the right word, green eyes rolling. "Cute. I guess."

"Wow. I did not see that coming."

"There's a lot of that going on lately Rogers. For instance. You realize Thor knew you were outside of your wife's room yesterday when they had the conversation about the Aether. He also knew you didn't know about it. AND to top it off he also heard your fight."

"I don't see where this is going."

"See. A lot of that. Thor is a warrior. I don't know his exact age, but I know he's got years of experience compared to us. Something happened in Asgard, and he wants Jane back. Something he's not telling us. Something that could possibly affect you and Jane obviously."

"I don't think he's that cynical, Natasha."

"Cynical? No. Smart? Hell yeah. He may play dumb sometimes, but his mind rivals even your wife's in it's years of experience and knowledge. Even Jane will admit that."

"So what's he got up his sleeve."

"I think his primary goal is to tear you two apart. I don't think he sees the baby as a threat."

"You think he's after my son?"

"No. I think once he has Jane, the child will come along with it."

Steve feels his body tense and his fists clench. "That WILL NOT happen."

"You've got to fight all those feelings of betrayal Steve. None of us want to see you hurt. Or Jane. We can all see how happy she is with you, and now Henry. Do not make her choose."

 

Thor's trip to Earth was short, but seemingly affective, and as much as he hated hurting his Earthly comrade, but he need Jane here with him. Seeing the newborn only made his resolve that much more clear. 

Jane was a good mother. 

She needed to be here for his child. Their child. The little girl currently running to him, arms open. "Papa!" 

The tiny two year old girl, who looked just like her mother. 

Just like Jane.


	10. Hello Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Princess meets her Mama

The crying fit came out of no where, and as much Thor try to comfort his screaming daughter, no amount of it would console her. Sif tried, Eir said there was nothing wrong. He laid there beside her as she tossed and turned, not wanting anything but to cry. The little one cried, kicked, threw her play things, all the while hollering for one person. 

"Mama."

Thor tried not to feel jealous whenever she used that moniker, and usually when she called out for her 'mama', Sif was an easy appeasement for the two year old. Lately though his daughter was haunted by dreams, and every time she called for Jane, nobody would satisfy her. 

Thor had learned from Heimdall recently that his seed of doubt designed to cause a rift between Jane and Steve, had not lasted. Jane and Steve were stronger than he imagined, and Tony had played a big role in it. Thor frowned at this because there was a time when Tony would do anything to go against the Captain. This was a sign of great trust between the two men, one that Thor hadn't seen coming. Heimdall also said that their child, Jane's son with the man who held his world, was growing into a handsome lad, and was already two months old by Midgard time standards. Time moved and flowed differently in Asgard. He said that the baby loved his father and mother, and thrived under the attention of his grandparents and Aunts Darcy and Natasha, and Uncles Sam, and Bucky. Thor remembered the man with an metal arm with great unease, and wanted him no where near his Jane. So why was he near her now? Near her child? Did Steve lack the sense to protect his family? Heimdall had said that Bucky looked on Jane with a brotherly affection, called her Angel, and was there everyday. Bucky had vowed to protect Jane and Henry with his life if needed. 

Thor's thoughts were broken when a shattering cry hurt his ears. If he were ever to get Jane back, she needed to know the truth of her child. He had no doubt in his mind that once she knew of their daughter, the daughter she had loved, and grieved over, and still grieved to this day, would bring her to Asgard. A mother's love for her children simply came first before that of a spouse. Steve may have given her a child, may have given her a temporary love that would only fill her affections until Thor was ready to take control of the situation, but he knew that Jane would be ready to come home with him. Henry could come too. Even if he was a part of Steve, the little boy was a part of Jane as well, and far be it from Thor to separate mother and son.

He heard whispers from Volstagg and Hogan on occasion. "You're acting on emotion alone Thor. Even Heimdall agrees that your plan will not work. The mortal has clearly moved on, and could very well be angry with you for hiding this secret." He had no choice. The second he realized what Odin had done, he gathered what little magic he knew he had, and summoned the child from entering the halls of Valhalla, much to the dismay of Odin, and the people of Asgard.

The people took to the little Princess easily. Thor named her Asdis, meaning goddess, much like her mother was in his heart. As she grew, Thor watched with fascination how different his daughter was from those actually full Asgardian. The curiosity of the child was unparallelled, as she walked she touched and grabbed everything. 

She was Jane's daughter. 

His mind made up, he gently grabbed his daughter in his arms, wrapped a blanket around her, and made his way to the Bifrost.

The meeting with their daughter would have to come sooner than he expected. 

 

Jane watched with in amusement as the two greatest soldiers in American history, rolled on the floor with her two month old son. Henry seemed delighted by all the attention, and squealed every time he saw his father or uncle's face. The infant was fascinated by his surroundings and rarely ever cried. The only time he really did cry was when mom came in the room, and he wasn't getting his dinner fast enough. He was sleeping through the night, much to her dismay. And health wise, and to Steve's great relief, was even healthier than his father, if that was possible. Her son was a delight, and she was so in love, with him, with his father, with her life.

The fight from a few months ago was clearly talked through, and dissected every inch, through and through. Steve was methodical that way. And when they were finally able to make love a couple weeks ago, Steve made sure that any ghosts of Thor, that to her were non-existent, she loved her husband so much. Steve took her so many different ways that night, that she spent the whole next day in bed. 

Jane was distracted from her thoughts when Natasha burst in. "Asgardian Alert. Just arrived, heading this way." She picked up the baby from the floor, and moved to sit next to Jane, Bucky on alert moved to sit on the far side of the sofa, leaving a space for Steve next to Jane who was opening the door for Thor. 

Jane straightened when she saw Thor was carrying a bundle, as Steve shut the door, and quickly moved beside her, his blue eyes light with worry. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, and was the first one to talk. "What's going on Thor? Why all the dramatics?"

"Jane. I need your help," and for the first time in a long time she couldn't breathe, the bundle in his arms shifted, she saw her own eyes staring back at her in his arms as she reached for her calling "mama. mama."

Steve was the first to stand in shock, followed by Bucky, who wasn't sure what was going on, but could see the child, who looked exactly like his sister.

Thor set the toddler down, who then promptly ran and circled her tiny arms around Jane's legs, staring up at her. "Our child Jane. I saved her from the halls a Valhalla before she entered two years ago after Odin did-," he inhales, harshly scrubbing a hand over his face, "I've raised her. I meant to tell you, but all this. You were never receptive after the incident. But she needs you now Jane. She looks just like you. I cannot raise her alone."

Bucky was the first to speak. "You've been doing it for two years now," his voice low, angry, protective. Jane feared for Thor's life for the first time in a long time. "What makes you think you can come in and do this now. What game are you playing?"

"Game? I play no game."

Steve looked at Jane sadly, and she reached for his hand, pulling him down. "Don't let him do this to us, Steven. It's just you and me. Regardless of what happens, whatever explanation he gives. No that I love YOU, Nothing will ever change that. I'm not leaving you for this. I'm pretty pissed off."

Natasha shifted Henry, who was fussing, feeling the tension, and Jane reached for her son, aware of Thor following her every movement. "I'm sorry," Natasha whispered. "Didn't mean to make him cry."

"It's alright," she looks at her baby and coos, the awkwardness of the little girl hugging her legs lost as she looks into her baby's blue eyes. "Go back to being a happy baby. Mommy's here. Daddy's right next to us," she snaps her eyes back to Thor. "So were you ever going to tell me about this?" Her voice as deadly as Natasha has ever heard from the tiny woman next to her. "Or were you just going to keep it a secret for the rest of my life."

"We need you on Asgard Jane. She needs her mother."

"I think I've made it pretty clear that I will never be returning to Asgard again."

"Yes but. The child-"

Jane passes off the baby, and gently pries the little girls arms away from her legs. "In a moment, little one." She stands to face her ex head on. "You have no right to manipulate me like this Thor Odinson. You know how much I wanted that child. Our child. AND you know how devastated I was when I lost it. And come to find out that you pulled some Asgardian voodoo magic shit," she heard Bucky chuckle, and was relieved to have him here now, "and you are just NOW telling me. I am so PISSED at you right now. You did this on purpose. To get your way. To get me back. Is that it? I excused your stupidity when you left for two years. I excused your stupidity when you left after I told you I was pregnant. I excused your stupidity two months ago when you almost cost me to lose the most important man in my life," she turned and looked at Steve who was holding their son, and had the little girl sitting next to him. The little girl was staring at him in awe, brown eyes, meeting blue. 

"Dat a baby."

Jane sighed, and her voice returned to normal. "What's her name?"

Thor looked almost terrified to speak to the only woman who could put him in his place, like she had been a few moments ago. He almost forgot her ferocity. "Her name is Asdis. Thorsdottir. She is two, I think in Midgard time years."

Jane gave him a look that told him that the conversation wasn't over, and turned to look at her daughter, who sitting next to her husband, looked like an infant herself. "Hello Asdis." The smile the little girl gave her nearly brought her to her knees. Jane was looking at her replica. The little girl had stuffed a couple fingers in her mouth and was staring back at her. "Mama?"

Jane felt her eyes fill with tears, as she nodded happily. The child she mourned for, had grieved for the last two years sat in front of her. Now she knew was a girl. A tiny little girl that looked exactly like her. She felt Steve's hand on her shoulder, and looked up and saw that he had transferred their son into Bucky's arms. Jane smiled at her husband thankful for his silent support and understanding as she stared at her daughter. "Mama!" The child threw her arms around her neck and Jane found herself squeezing the girl to her tight as she stood, Steve behind her smiling at his wife as a chapter of darkness in her life was officially closed. 

"God she's perfect, Steve." Steve felt a thrill that she wanted him included in this moment, and any since of jealousy he felt for the man staring at them washed away.

"She is. She's beautiful, she looks just like you."

Jane turns around and stares at Thor. "I really don't want to talk to you right now. Can she stay? I want her to stay. I can't give her up."

Thor nods in understanding, and disappointment. "I'll have Heimdall keep an eye on her when I return." He watched Jane return to their daughter with bittersweet emotion. Watched as Steve ran a hand down the little girl's cheek and the child cooed up at him. Watched as the Widow, and the Soldier gathered around the family. "She's beautiful, Angel."

He watched as all of his carefully laid plans washed away. 

He watched Jane smile. His heart full of love as the woman he loves holds their daughter close, crying, and happy. 

Jane was happy.


	11. All-Speak & Important Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Understanding their Asgardian daughter, and Stepdaughter. All-Speak is not magic.

The trip had been Steve’s idea. Just a get away with Tony and Pepper, Henry, Jane and now Asdis, Bucky and Darcy (That had been a huge surprise to Steve. Jane just laughed at him.) Thor hadn’t shown up since he left the little girl with Jane for a week ago, and it was probably a good thing. Jane was still extremely livid. 

He honestly didn’t know what to think about the little girl, who seemed immediately attached to Jane. Jane didn’t either. Though the guilt at not being there for her was eating her alive, and Steve badly wanted to kill Thor for that. 

Asdis took to Henry almost like he was a little doll, she loved to be around the baby, especially when he was awake and alert. She liked to talk to him, and for a two year old had a very big vocabulary. 

Tony’s reaction when meeting Asdis was hilarious, Steve had never seen him as drunk as he had that night. 

And now. As they all drove in a tiny caravan, Steve and Jane at the lead with their two kids, he looks over at his sleeping wife in the passenger seat and takes her hand, kissing it gently as he studies the road. Their fight seems so trivial now that all this has happened, they agreed to put it behind them. That they loved each other and that regardless of anything, Henry came first. And now Asdis.

Asdis didn’t say much as she watched him from her car seat in the back seat. She stared at him a lot, and when he offered her a smile, she would giggle and cover her face. The tension between the two, mostly came from Steve, if only because of her own father, and not understanding his motives. The child was actually really sweet, and had great manners, and minded extremely well. Steve knew he shouldn’t blame this little girl. 

“Hi.”

He looks into the review mirror, and smiles at the toddler. “Hi sweetheart. You doing ok back there?”

She wrinkles her brows in the most adorable way, exactly like her mother as if she’s trying to process what he said. 

Jane has told him about all-speak. A language magic that Asgardians use to understand practically every language ever spoken. She didn’t know how it worked, but guessed that it was something Asgardians were born with. This past week they could tell that wasn’t exactly true. 

Asdis soaked up and absorbed everything said in front of her, sometimes as they talked to her they noticed her thinking, the communication link gone, as she processed what they said. Jane had said it’s almost like someone is translating what we say to her, and telling her what to say back. 

So now, Jane had a new mission, discovering how her Asgardian daughter’s mind, and mouth works. 

Asdis was still thinking as he turned into Martha’s Vineyard, courtesy of Tony, he shook his wife awake gently, telling her they were there, and smiled at the little girl again. 

“I good, Teve.”

“Good girl,” He smiled at the girl again.

“Let’s get this party started, yes?” Jane yawned from her seat. 

 

Jane hated feeling that her little girl was a research object, but watching her communicate was fascinating to her and Tony. 

“Unbelievable. Bucky just asked her about Thor, her father, and the girl has no idea what that means.”

Jane nods as she studies Asdis as she goes to her thinking face. “I want to know how it works. Every bit of it. I want to know what I’m missing. What am I missing, dad? This isn’t magic, this is something else entirely.”

“Maybe it’s her learning how to control it.”

“But look at her. She’s in her head. Someone is talking to her. The internal communication, that’s magic. What is all-speak?”

“Well. Let’s get busy then,” he pulls out his tablet to take notes. “I need to get to know my granddaughter.”

 

Steve and Jane were lying outside watching the stars taking comfort from each other’s arms. “I’m sorry for this. I don’t think I have ever told you that.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, baby. I was ready to have you when you were pregnant with her. You having her wouldn’t have changed my mind at all. Now that she’s here, it takes some getting used to, but we’ll make it. I’m just upset over all the tears you’ve shed before this for this child. And I’m pissed as fuck that Thor and Odin have hidden this.”

“I don’t know why he would do this.”

“You don’t? I do. This child is a link from him to you.”

“I guess it could be a reason he wasn’t so upset when he told me what Odin had done.”

“That too. And another scary reason to not tell you that she was alive was the hammer. You can lift that hammer Jane and I don’t think that’s a coincidence either.”

“You think something else is going on?”

“I do. And I think Thor does too. I think he’s trying to manipulate it before it does happen. Why bring her here now? Why now? Six weeks after we have a child. And what was his purpose in coming to your room that day? Was it to psyche us out? What? He’s been fine with us since that whole big fight, and then what changes in the hospital room?”

“I don’t know. He was possessive.”

“And now he’s being manipulative.”

She sits up in realization and gasps. “Steve. The last two times we’ve seen him, he was in full armor. Full warrior. You know that.”

“Yeah. I was there. I saw, doll. What does that have to do with anything?”

“He didn’t have the hammer.”

“He didn’t,” Steve frowns, still not understanding. 

“The hammer, Steve. Thor can’t lift the hammer.”


	12. Civil War Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane has to choose a side. It's Iron Man vs. Captain America. It's her father vs. her husband. It's her head vs. her heart. Thankfully they were both in the same place.

Steve holds on tightly to his crying wife, as Tony chews him out. "Sometimes, I just want to punch you in your pretty teeth. This is important. This is holding somebody accountable, for our actions."

"Our actions? OUR ACTIONS? If the criminals weren't around, we'd never have to fight them!"

"What about the Hulk? What about the fact that we can't control that!"

"He wouldn't come out if there wasn't a threat!" Steve pushes Jane, who's holding Henry into Bucky's arms, and he takes them into the next room, away from the drama. "Do you honestly think that this is ok? Giving the government all the control? Again? You see what happened last time! With HYDRA! Look at what those bastards did? All because the government had all the control! Senators were involved, Tony! How do you expect me me to be ok with this? Not to mention they fucked up my best friend! No. It's not going to happen!"

"Think about Jane!"

"I am thinking about Jane! And Henry! And me signing up for that does absolutely nothing but invade her privacy! I won't do it! I won't do it, especially now with Asdis as well! How can you even think about doing this? She's your daughter! They're your grandchildren! How can you even think this is a good thing?"

"Jane will side with me. Count on that Rogers!"

"Catch me if you can, Jerk."

 

The confusion in the very serious situation, only made things worse. Jane only heard bits and pieces of it. Superhero registration(was Steve a Superhero?) Everyone had to register with the government.(What does that even mean?) It didn't sound good for any of the heroes or their families. So why was her father so for it? Something wasn't right. Tony always fought against the government trying to intervene with his suits. Why the change now?

She watches as Bucky calms her five month old son with ease, insanely jealous of the way he did it so quickly, and upset that he was awake in the first place. He had been sleeping. Then Tony had to come in, and everything exploded. She had no idea what would become of this, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't be good. Bucky looks up at her, smiles grimly and states, "We should start packing. We can't stay here. Not with the government bound to be knocking at our door."

"You really think it's that bad?"

"I think with the way your father was speaking, that they're going to force this on every one."

"But that's not fair! That's not freedom!"

He shrugs, and lays the baby in his carrier. What would this mean to him? He's been controlled by the government for so long. This wasn't fair at all. She knew where her husband stood, now she knew where his best friend stood. If this was war, what did this mean for her? Her son? Her daughter? Thoughts of Asdis filled her with fear. The girl could be classified as a superhero. She had some magic. What did it mean for her? If the government found out she was hiding Thor's hammer all this time?

She quickly throws things into a couple of suitcases, thankful her daughter isn't on Earth at the moment. The unbelievable fury she feels towards Thor lessening, because he can protect their daughter far away from this conflict. Steve's things, her things, Henry's things. All thrown in together, she can sort them later, and watches as Bucky carts them away. She didn't know where they were going, but allowed her husband to hold her.

"Everything will be ok. I won't let any of this affect you, Henry, or Asdis. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

He sighs and pulls away. "Take the hammer," he picks up Henry's carrier. "I don't want that left here. The government doesn't realize you have it, and if they ever caught wind, you'd be on that list too."

She grabs the hammer, the weight foreign in her hand, and follows her husband and son out to the waiting aircraft, where Hawkeye, Scott Lang, and Wanda are waiting, along with Sharon Carter. She sees Barton's family huddled against the far corner of the craft as Hawkeye, expertly makes them vanish against the night sky, and briefly wonders where Natasha is. Darcy is huddled by Bucky, sipping her latte(where did she have time to get one of those? I'm so jealous.)

Steve shuffles his small family near Bucky, in-between him, and Lang, and she knows then, when she sits down the hammer, and he pulls her into his lap. Her side was clearly chosen, and the guilt at going against her father faded. 

This is why we fight. To go home, Tony had said once. 

That's not why her husband fought. Her husband fought for freedom, for his country, and most of all for his family.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a huge Thor/Jane fan, but you wouldn't be able to tell it with this story. For some reason, Steve/Jane just work for me. I hope you like this and let me know if I should continue.


End file.
